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By Rina Guidos
WASHINGTON (CNS) – The head of the Archdiocese of New Orleans spoke of horror and pain in a statement Nov. 30 after police reported the shooting death of a retired priest and possibly a parishioner in the archdiocese.
Archbishop Gregory M. After Aymond confirmed on the archdiocese’s website that one of the two burned bodies found on Nov. 28 was a local police officer, Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond wrote in a statement: “There is no horror of what happened in Covington.” Otis Young, a retired priest at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Covington, a suburb of New Orleans.
“Let us continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. For Otis and the missing Ruth Prats, their families and all those who have suffered,” the archbishop wrote.
Authorities are working to identify the second body, which many in the archdiocese believe may be that of Prat, who helped care for the priest.
The Covington Police Department arrested and charged Antonio Donde Tyson on Nov. 28 with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree kidnapping and other charges.
The coroner said the bodies — the priest who went missing on Nov. 27 and Prats, who were found burned a day later behind the building — showed signs of blunt force trauma. The identity of the victims is being determined through DNA testing.
Hundreds of people heard the news that two bodies had been found in a Covington church before the holy hour on November 28, and that the priest and his assistant were missing.
“Today, as we await confirmation of the second victim, I pray for the two victims of this heinous crime,” the archbishop said in a statement.
“In a special way, we pray to Fr. Otis, a beloved pastor who touched many lives with his faith, warmth and pastoral heart. It is a loss for our church and for the community as a whole.”
Archbishop Aymond also said: “I humbly suggest to all who are distressed and wondering how this could have happened, to turn to our Lord Jesus in this time of mourning.”
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