People clapped, gasped and cried when a man pushed Father Joseph Terra into the room full of parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena on Monday.<\/p>\n
Still in a wheelchair after being wounded last week during a break-in at Mater Misericordiae Mission that left a fellow priest dead, Terra didn\u2019t move much. His hands were heavily bandaged, his eyes were bruised and swollen, and the top of his head was marked by fresh scars and dried blood.<\/p>\n
The 56-year-old struggled to smile as well-wishers lined up to whisper in his ear. When asked about the man who is accused of injuring him and of killing Father Kenneth Walker, 28, Terra spoke softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have forgiven him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Police announced the arrest of Gary Michael Moran, 54, on suspicion of breaking into the rectory and attacking the priests in what appeared to be a burglary gone wrong.<\/p>\n
Phoenix Police Chief Daniel V. Garcia described Moran as a \u201ccareer criminal\u201d who had just completed a five-year prison term in April for a 2005 burglary at a home in which he stabbed the homeowner with a knife\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026Since the attack, the fraternity\u2019s priests have spoken out for spiritual forgiveness, even for the seemingly unforgivable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is always forgiveness. It\u2019s important for us to remember the man who committed this act. \u2026 We should pray for him,\u201d said fraternity member Father Carl Gismondi at St. Catherine\u2019s, after a requiem Mass was held there for Walker. \u201cThe hardest part of Catholicism is to pray for those who persecute us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would he say to his attacker?\u201d Father Eric Flood told mourners in remarks made in English during the ceremony, referring to Walker. \u201cSurely it\u2019s the same advice he would give to us. \u2026 Turn to God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flood added that \u201cheaven is still possible\u201d for the attacker\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Read it all.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From The Los Angeles Times:\u00a0 People clapped, gasped and cried when a man pushed Father Joseph Terra into the room full of parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena on Monday. Still in a wheelchair after being wounded last week during a break-in at Mater Misericordiae Mission that left a fellow priest dead, Terra didn\u2019t move […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-priests","category-ripped-from-the-headlines"],"yoast_head":"\n
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