An Indian-origin Catholic priest was shot and killed in the United States' Kansas on Thursday, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann confirmed the news on social media.
"I am heartbroken to share the tragic news of the death of Fr. Arul Carasala, who was fatally shot earlier today," Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a Facebook post.
"This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend."
The Catholic Archdiocese in Kansas City requested prayers for both the rural Kansas parish and the person responsible for the shooting, Associated Press reported.
Father Arul Carasala served at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kansas, where he lost his life on Thursday.
"In this time of sorrow, let us entrust Fr. Carasala to the mercy of God and lift in prayer his family in Cuddapah, India, his parish community at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, and all who mourn his passing," Naumann said. "Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart."
Naumann described Carasala as a dedicated pastor who served the Archdiocese loyally for more than two decades, whilst confirming public safety was not at risk, Kota TV reported.
The Kansas bureau of investigation reported the arrest of Gary L Hermesch, aged 66, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He faces charges of first-degree murder in relation to Carasala's death.
Who is Arul Carasala?According to the parish website, Carasala served as the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca from 2011.
Originally from India, where he was ordained as a priest in 1994, he began his service in Kansas in 2004. He obtained his United States citizenship in 2011.
A prayer service was organised by the Knights of Columbus on Thursday evening, with a subsequent mass planned to honour Carasala.
"Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen," wrote Naumann.
Roger Marshall, Kansas Senator, expressed grief and said, "I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of Father Arul Carasala due to a senseless act of violence. I am praying for Father Carasala’s family, friends, and parishioners as they grieve. We must find who did this, and justice must be served."
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