‘This is for all the kids!’:
innocent priest attacked in sacristy
 |
| Fr,Basil Hutsko. |
Fr Basil Hutsko, who is
not suspected of abuse, was knocked unconscious by an unknown attacker
A Byzantine Catholic priest was
attacked on Monday in the sacristy of his church.
The priest, Father Basil Hutsko,
suffered a concussion in the attack at St Michael Church, in Merrilville,
Indiana, and was scheduled to undergo further tests to determine the extent of
his injuries.
The attacker, who was still at
large, jumped Fr Hutsko from behind, according to Fr Thomas Loya, director of
the Respect Life Office for the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Eparchy of Parma,
Ohio, and a member of the eparchy’s presbyteral council.
In a Facebook posting after the
attack, Fr Loya said, “The attacker choked him and slammed his head to the
ground. Father Basil lost consciousness. Before going unconscious, Fr Basil
heard the attacker say, ‘This is for all the kids!'” – a reference to clergy
sex abuse scandals that have resurfaced in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.
Fr Hutsko, who is in his 60s, is not suspected of any abuse, Fr Loya told Catholic News Service in an August 21st telephone interview.
Fr Loya said Fr Hutsko was alone
in the church after having finished the morning liturgy at the time of the
attack. The assailant “must have been pretty strong, because Fr Hutsko is a
pretty healthy, strong guy,” he added. The attacker wore gloves, Fr Loya noted.
“He was smart enough to not leave any fingerprints.”
“I think some parishioners came
by” and spotted the victim, said Fr Loya, who also is pastor of Annunciation
Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois. The church was unlocked at
the time of the attack. “He woke up eventually. He was a little wobbly,” he
said of Fr Hutsko.
“The attacker got away. The
police came, but they still don’t have anybody. Some people apparently later on
said the only thing they noticed there was a car in the parking lot for a while
and it disappeared,” Fr Loya said.
“When I talked to him last
night, he was feeling discomfort in an area he wasn’t feeling prior,” he added.
“He did spend the night elsewhere, for which I’m glad.”
Fr Hutsko was “an innocent random victim – a random, innocent target,” Fr Loya told CNS.
Fr Hutsko was “an innocent random victim – a random, innocent target,” Fr Loya told CNS.
“All clergy now have to be
vigilant. Not paranoid, but vigilant,” he added. “It’s time to witness.”
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