Paul KeenanSecond priest seriously injured during incident
The US Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona has been left shocked by the slaying of one of its priests during a burglary.
Frs Kenneth Walker and Joseph Terra were present at the city’s Mater Misericordiae Mission on June 11 when they were attacked. Fr Walker, 28, was shot, and Fr Terra seriously injured before their assailant fled the scene, leaving them both in a critical condition. Fr Walker died later in hospital.
“We are stunned and deeply saddened to learn of the tragic assault perpetrated against Fr Joseph Terra and Fr Kenneth Walker, two religious order priests who belong to the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter,” the diocese said in a statement. “We ask that people offer prayers for both priests, the religious community, their families and the parish.”
On the night of the murder, police found an abandoned vehicle linked to the crime elsewhere in Phoenix and are now investigating.