A 64-year-old Catholic Priest was brutally attacked while praying at the altar of his church this week. A man came in, surprised him, and proceeded to slam his head into the floor until the blows knocked him unconscious:
NEWSWEEK – Monday morning attack on a priest from the Saint Michael Byzantine Church has Indiana police investigating it as a hate crime.
Reverend Basil John Hutsko, a Merrillville, Indiana, priest was at the altar praying when he was the victim of a surprise attack, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana. His attacker reportedly slammed his head into the floor several times until he lost consciousness.
Merrillville Police Department Spokesman Commander Jeff Rice told the Chicago Tribune the attack happened around 9:00 a.m. EDT and that Hutsko was possibly targeted because of the recent national reports about sexual abuse within the Catholic church.
The attacker reportedly shouted “This is for all the kids,” as he hit the priest, Merrillville Police Department Chief Joe Petruch told WLS.
Hutsko is still trying to piece together the details of the attack. His attacker is only described as a white male who was driving a dark colored vehicle. Following the attack, medics tended to the 64-year-old at the scene and then transported him to the Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus, where he was treated for his injuries. Newsweek reached out to the Saint Michael Byzantine Church but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Police received reports of the attack around 11:30 a.m. EDT and the Chicago Tribune reported that the department then alerted the FBI because of the language the attacker allegedly used.
“I don’t believe—I know this is a hate crime. The words he used, and I believe he targeted this priest because of his faith,” Petruch told WLS.
The thing is this priest has never been accused of anything:
He’s a good priest and like everybody said, he’s not accused of anything,” the Rev. Steven Koplinka from St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Parish in Munster told the Post-Tribune. “Why attack him?”
Hutsko is said to be recovering in the hospital.
I hope they are able to identify and catch who did this, as Hutsko was never able to see his attacker’s face.
Recently revealed scandal or not, it’s absolutely despicable that someone would do this. Yes, the actions of those priests over the last 70 years were despicable and I think it’s a good thing that the totality of it has come to light.
But an innocent priest like Husko should not have to pay for the crimes of these wayward priests.