Police tape and vehicles are seen outside Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission in Phoenix the morning after a priest was killed and another critically injured during an attack at the mission the night of June 11. Sgt. Steve Martos of the Phoenix Police Department said police received a 911 call at about 9 p.m. reporting a burglary. (CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec)
By Catholic News Service
PHOENIX — An attack at a downtown Phoenix church left one priest dead and another critically wounded.
Father Kenneth Walker, 29, died of a gunshot wound in the June 11 attack, while Father Joseph Terra, 56, survived the attack and was hospitalized in critical but stable condition, Sgt. Steve Martos of the Phoenix Police Department said. Father Terra served as pastor of Mater Dei Personal Parish in Irving from 2005 to 2009.
Both priests are members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. The order of priests is dedicated to celebrating the Mass in the extraordinary form, commonly known as the Tridentine rite.
The attack stunned the church in Phoenix, where the diocese issued a statement asking for prayers for both men, the religious community, their families and the parish.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix, who was attending the annual spring meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in New Orleans, offered a prayer as the bishops began the day’s agenda June 12.
The bishop said Father Walker was ordained a year ago.
Martos said police received a 911 call at about 9 p.m. from Mater Misericordiae (Mother of Mercy) Mission reporting a burglary. Responding officers found the two priests severely wounded and immediately called for an ambulance.
Father Walker was pronounced dead at the hospital, Martos said. He described Father Terra’s injuries as severe and said that it appeared he was beaten by intruders.
“The call came in as a burglary, but we’re not sure burglary was, in fact, the motive,” Martos told Catholic News Service.
The priests were found in the parish rectory, which is connected to the church. Television images showed that the rectory’s windows were protected by iron bars.
A 2003 Mazda Tribute was reported missing from church property and was discovered about two hours after the incident several blocks from the parish, the police spokesman added. Investigators planned to comb the vehicle for evidence later June 12.
“Without having a little more conversation with Father Terra we don’t have a suspect description,” Martos said.
Outside the church early June 12, 25 parishioners arrived silently with their heads bowed, kneeled on a sidewalk behind the police crime scene tape and prayed the rosary.
Parishioner Bill Haley of Phoenix said he visited Father Terra in the hospital shortly after midnight and that the priest asked for prayers for his recovery. He said he also asked about the well-being of parishioners.
“The priests always helped anyone in need. They have a heart to serve the poor and they never would have turned anyone away,” Haley said.
Parishioner Joseph Bright of Mesa said parishioners were praying for the repose of Father Walker’s soul and for healing for Father Terra.
They are “very good and holy priests” and “very kind to the people here” at the parish and in the neighborhood, he said.
Founded in Switzerland in 1988, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is based in Germany’s Bavaria region and has about 240 priests serving in 15 countries.
