Kansas Priest Fatally Shot at Parish Rectory

In the quiet town of Seneca, Kansas, a serene rectory turned into the site of a tragedy as a beloved Catholic priest was shot and killed, leaving a stunned community seeking answers, the AP reports. Fr. Arul Carasala was reportedly approached Thursday afternoon by an older man who shot him three times. The suspect was taken into custody. Carasala had served as the pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca since 2011 and was a part of the Kansas Archdiocese since 2004. Ordained in India in 1994, he became a US citizen in 2011.

"I am heartbroken to share the tragic news of the death of Fr. Arul Carasala, who was fatally shot earlier today," Archbishop Joseph Naumann said in a statement. "This senseless act of violence has left us grieving the loss of a beloved priest, leader, and friend." Naumann confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the community, but parish officials say they don't yet know the suspected shooter's identity or motive. Fox 4 KC says the suspect is a 66-year-old Oklahoma man. "Let us also pray for the perpetrator, that God may touch and transform his heart," Naumann said in his statement, per KCTV 5. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)