by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A priest who nearly died after being stabbed 20 times while hearing a man’s confession said he is living one of the most important lessons in the Bible – forgiveness.
According to a report by the Caller-Times, Father Shaji Varghese, 42, of Our Lady fo Guadalupe Church in Sinton, Texas, had just finished celebrating Mass on May 8 when David Rodriquez asked him to hear his confession. Although Rodriquez was known to have a mentally troubled past, he seemed fine that morning as Fr. Varghese agreed to hear his confession.
Minutes later, Fr. Varghese was found about 100 yards from the side door of the church, soaked in his own blood. He had been beaten and stabbed 20 times.
Rodriguez, who was picked up within an hour of the incident, remains in the San Patricio County Jail charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to his attorney, David Stith, he is undergoing psychiatric evaluations to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.
“I was thinking my time was almost over,” Fr. Varghese said about that day. “I went to sleep, but on the third day I started seeing people. It was a glad thing to come back to that.”
He believes their prayers saved his life.
“So many thought I was going to die because of the serious wounds,” Fr. Varghese said. “The kidney, both sides of my artery, my neck, my cheek, my chest. It was prayer. I believe prayers saved me.”
Parishioners rallied around Fr. Varghese, a native of Kerala, India who had been at the church less than two years when the stabbing took place. The predominantly Hispanic congregation was having trouble understanding him but all that was put aside while Fr. Varghese was fighting for his life in a nearby hospital. They started having weekly get-togethers with him during his recovery, which brought the whole parish closer together.
Fr. Varghese says he harbors no animosity toward his attacker and said his capacity for forgiveness comes from both his upbringing and his faith.
In fact, he went home to India in August for a month to spend time with his family. While visiting a brother’s house, he noticed a picture of Rodriguez in the family’s prayer room.
“I asked, ‘Why do you keep it here,’ and my sister-in-law told me, ‘While we were praying for you, we were praying for him also,'” Fr. Varghese said.
Even though every day actions such as shaving or stretching irritate his scars, there is no anger in his heart toward Rodriquez.
“I’m not angry at him,” he said. “In my heart there is nothing other than forgiveness. There is still a scary event in my mind. And it may be months or years before it goes away. But I’m not angry.”
The incident taught him many things, he told the Caller-Times.
“It made my vocation more stronger, my loyalty toward God more stronger. I was made more sure that my God is such a caring one. We are not perfect. It made me know that God answers to the prayers and God supports.”
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