An Oklahoma man has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Catholic priest at a church rectory in northeast Kansas, authorities announced Friday, April 4, 2025.
Officers responding to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca, Kansas, on Thursday afternoon, April 3, found Father Raj Arul Balaswamy Carasala with gunshot wounds outside the rectory, according to the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office. The 57-year-old priest was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he later died.
Sheriff’s deputies and Seneca Police Department officers arrested Gary Lee Hermesch, 66, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert said in a written statement Friday that Hermesch was charged with first-degree murder and is being held in the Nemaha County Jail with bond set at $1 million.
The charging complaint states that Hermesch “intentionally and with premeditation” killed Carasala, according to Lippert. Authorities have not yet released information about a possible motive for the shooting or indicated whether the suspect and the priest knew each other.
Kris Anderson, the parish’s director of religious education, described what little she knew about the incident through tears. “From what we know, an older man walked up to him (Carasala) and shot him three times.”
The priest’s death has shocked the community of Seneca, a city of about 2,100 people located approximately 60 miles north of Topeka, 90 miles northwest of Kansas City, and 300 miles north of Tulsa. Father Carasala has been pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church since 2011.
According to reports from Religion News Service, Hermesch had previously written multiple letters to a local newspaper expressing criticism of Catholic Church reforms following the Second Vatican Council. In these letters, he referred to a “strange new version of ‘Catholicism’.” While these letters did not specifically mention Father Carasala or the Seneca church, they demonstrated Hermesch’s opposition to changes implemented after Vatican II.
The Kansas City Star reported that Hermesch has ties to the Nemaha County area, having grown up and attended high school there before moving to Oklahoma.
Father Carasala was ordained as a priest in 1994 for the Diocese of Cuddapah, located on the southeast coast of his native India. He began serving in Kansas in 2004 after being invited to visit by Archbishop James P. Keleher. During his time in Kansas, he served as pastor of five parishes. In 2011, he became a U.S. citizen while maintaining his status as an overseas citizen of India.
In a Facebook post addressing the community, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas assured residents there was no ongoing threat but acknowledged the profound impact of the priest’s death.
The archbishop described Father Carasala as a “devoted and zealous pastor” who had faithfully served the archdiocese for over twenty years. According to statements from the archdiocese, he was deeply loved by his parishioners and fellow priests.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case and is conducting an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. While preliminary information has been released, authorities are still gathering evidence and have not disclosed all details related to the case.
The community of Seneca has come together in mourning, with many expressing their grief over the sudden loss of their spiritual leader. A funeral Mass is being planned, which is expected to draw a large gathering of mourners from the parish and beyond.
Father Carasala, known to some in the community as “Father Raj,” had established deep connections within the Seneca community during his 14 years of service at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. His work extended beyond regular parish duties to include community outreach and support.
Seneca, a typically quiet rural community in northeastern Kansas, has rarely experienced violent crime of this nature, making the incident particularly jarring for residents. Community leaders have called for calm and unity as the legal process progresses.
Hermesch is expected to appear in court in the coming days for initial proceedings related to the first-degree murder charge. If convicted, he could face a life sentence under Kansas law.
