(LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic woman was injured Tuesday morning by a man with a knife in her church in Ireland.
The middle-aged woman, identified as Mary McNamara, was stabbed this morning, July 21, at around 9:45 a.m. The attack interrupted the morning recitation of the Rosary at Holy Cross Church in Tramore, County Waterford. Parishioners immediately summoned emergency services. The victim, reported as being in her 50s, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening wounds.
The police apprehended a suspect, described as “white,” “Irish,” and “in his 30s,” at a home nearby.
A source told LifeSiteNews that McNamara is a pro-life activist.
According to the Irish Mirror, the parish priest, Father Richard O’Halloran, called the attack “random in nature.”
“It has been a very shocking event,” he told the outlet. “However, the people and, indeed, my colleague who was there at the time responded wonderfully well. All the emergency services were called, and they looked after everything that was happening.”
The recitation of the Rosary was to be followed by the 10 a.m. Mass. The attacker is said to be a stranger to the woman he stabbed but not to the police.
“Mary ran away screaming from her attacker,” local town councilor Jim Griffin told the Irish Mirror. “He was not known to her.”
The Diocese of Waterford & Lismore released a statement saying that it is “deeply shocked by a violent incident which occurred this morning during Mass at Holy Cross Church, Tramore.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured parishioner, and we pray for her full and speedy recovery.We wish to commend the courage and presence of mind shown by the parishioners who assisted during this frightening incident. We also thank the priests of the parish for their immediate pastoral care and concern, and we express our sincere gratitude to An Garda Síochána, the National Ambulance Service and all emergency personnel for their prompt response.We ask the people of the Diocese to pray for the injured woman, for everyone affected by this distressing incident, and for the parish community of Holy Cross, Tramore.
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