Indiana priest attacked, knocked unconscious as assailant yells ‘this is for all the kids’

Joshua Gill, DCNF

An Indiana Byzantine priest was rushed to the hospital Monday morning after an assailant knocked him unconscious while shouting, “This is for all the kids.”

The unknown attacker assaulted Fr. Basil Hutsko, who has not been deemed guilty of or implicated in child sexual abuse, after he celebrated the liturgy on Monday morning in Merrillville, Indiana. The man allegedly choked Hutsko and slammed his head on the ground in the altar servers’ sacristy.

Hutsko said that he heard the assailant shout, “This is for all the kids,” an apparent reference to Pennsylvania’s recently published report on child sexual abuse in the church, before he lost consciousness.

This was apparently a random attack and Fr. Hutsko HAS NOT been accused of any wrongdoing. I hope for prayers for his recovery, and proper penance for those whose criminal cover-up of abuse sowed the seeds of this violence. @JamesMartinSJ

— Bob Grip (@Bob_Grip) August 20, 2018

“All clergy are now targets and need to be vigilant. However it must also be clear that Fr. Hutsko was a random target. He is NOT guilty of any sex abuse,” said Fr. Thomas J. Loya in a statement from the chancery of the Parma Eparchy.

Hutsko is the pastor of St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church in Merrillville. He was being treated in a local hospital as of Monday according to Loya.

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