Seneca, April 5, 2025: A Catholic priest from India, who had been serving a US archdiocese for more than 20 years, was shot outside his rectory.
The news was confirmed by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in a Facebook post on April 3, the day Father Arul Balaswamy Karasala was shot multiple times at Seneca, a town in northeast Kansas.
The priest had been the pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church there since 2011.
He later died in the hospital, the Facebook page said. He was 56.
A suspect is reportedly in custody.
People who knew Father Karasala, also spelled as Carasala, described him as a deeply committed spiritual leader and beloved member of the community.
He was a native of Kadapa in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Father Karasala was ordained in 1994 and came to the US in 2004. He became a US citizen in 2011.
He had served the Kansas City archdiocese for more than 20 years. He was also the dean of the Nemaha-Marshall area.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, in a social media post said: “This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend.”
Kris Anderson, the archdiocese’s director of religious education, told the Associated Press: “From what we know, an older man walked up to him and shot him three times.”
While authorities have yet to release further details, Archbishop Naumann assured the public there was no ongoing threat.
“Fr. Karasala was a devoted and zealous pastor,” he wrote. “His love for Christ and His Church was evident in how he ministered to his people with great generosity and care.”
The police have charged one Gary L., 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in connection with Father Karasala’s death.
Sources: premierchristian.news, indialife.us