Priest Fatally Shot Outside Kansas Church Rectory by Man Who Wanted to "Make The Church Great Again"

The Rev. Arul Carasala, a priest at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kan., was fatally shot on Thursday

A Catholic priest was fatally shot outside his rectory in Seneca, Kansas, on Thursday afternoon, in what authorities have described as an intentional and premeditated act. The suspect, a 66-year-old man from Oklahoma, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

At approximately 2:50 p.m., a 911 call reported gunfire at the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church rectory. Law enforcement from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and the Seneca Police Department responded and discovered Father Arul Carasala, 57, with gunshot wounds outside the church residence. He was transported to a hospital, where he died despite emergency life-saving efforts.

The suspect, Gary L. Hermesch of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was taken into custody shortly after the shooting. He was booked into the Nemaha County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. The following day, prosecutors formally charged Hermesch, stating the attack was deliberate and premeditated. The investigation remains ongoing, and no clear motive has been established. Hermesch’s attorney declined to comment.

Hermesch, who reportedly grew up in Seneca before relocating to Tulsa, had expressed public dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church in recent years. Between January 2021 and March 2024, he submitted at least six letters to a local newspaper, criticizing the Church’s direction. In one letter written in August 2021, he referenced former President Donald Trump and lamented that “the faith is not being taught,” calling for a return to more traditional practices. He referred to the modern Church as a “fake Catholic Church” in several of his writings.

Victim Rev. Arul Carasala, left, and Gary Hermesch, right, charged with the murder

Authorities noted that Hermesch turned himself in at the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office, where his brother works as a dispatcher. The town of Seneca, with a population of about 2,000, lies in northern Kansas near the Nebraska border. In one of the letters from August 2021, Hermesch wrote: "Let’s not sweat the small stuff, though, maybe if we just follow Donald Trump’s example we’ll ‘make the Church great again.' So why are things headed south like a runaway freight train? Simple. The faith is not being taught. Now is that equality and tolerance of other religions, or what?”

Father Raj “Arul” Balaswamy Carasala was born in Cuddapah, India, and was ordained in the Diocese of Cuddapah before moving to Kansas in 2004. He served in four parishes across the state before becoming pastor of Saints Peter and Paul parish on July 15, 2011. He became a U.S. citizen on May 20, 2011, and maintained strong ties to India, believing that “the church is home wherever he is.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City expressed grief over the tragedy and led a Mass in Father Carasala’s honor on Thursday evening. “This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend,” he said. “Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart.”

Reflecting on the tragedy, Archbishop Naumann added, “While we continue to mourn the loss of Father Arul, I pray that we will not lose hope. God is with us in our adversity. He can bring good out of evil.”