Salt + Light Live Stream
Father Claude Grou was stabbed in the chest during a morning mass Friday at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. The mass was live streamed by the Catholic television network Sel+Lumiere TV (Salt + Light) when the stabbing happened, CTV News shared. Read on to learn more about what happened and to see photos and video of the suspect, who has not yet been named.
The Stabbing Happened on Live Stream During a Morning Mass
WARNING: Some may find this video disturbing:
About 50 people were attending the mass, and many more were watching on live stream when the stabbing happened. A video of the stabbing can be seen above. The suspect’s name has not yet been released. Grou was conscious and talking when he was taken to the hospital, Oratory spokesperson Celine Barbeau told the Montreal Gazette.
The stabbing happened at 8:30 a.m. when a man dressed in dark clothes and wearing a white baseball cap walked to the altar, knocking over a candle in the process. He can be seen striking Grou twice and Grou can be seen falling over. When Grou fell, people rushed to the front of the church to help.
One witness said the man was sitting in the pews before he rushed to the front, CBC reported. Witnesses said the suspect didn’t say anything before the attack.
People Rushed Forward To Help the Father Grou. The Suspect Did Not Resist Arrest after the Stabbing
In the screenshots from the video below, you can see the suspect calmly approaching the altar. Witnesses said he was sitting in the pew and didn’t say anything before the attack.
Live Stream Screenshot
He seemed to be targeting Grou specifically, who tried to flee from the man in the horrific attack.
But after the stabbing, people rushed forward to help the priest, not fearing for their own safety. They wanted to make sure the priest was safe and the man couldn’t get near him again.
Live Stream Screenshot
Here you can see a group of people standing between the priest and the suspect, preventing him from getting close to Grou after the stabbing.
Live Stream Screenshot
Security guards quickly subdued the suspect who did not resist, a witness told the Montreal Gazette.
The Suspect Is Known to Police
Police arrested this man at oratory following stabbing of a priest this morning @CTVMontreal
Police have not yet released the name of the suspect, but they said he is known by police, Montreal Gazette reported. He’s being questioned. The suspect is 26.
The Oratory is safe for people to visit, Barbeau told the Montreal Gazette.
“This is a place of openness and a place of prayer so we cannot close a place like that. It is an absolutely safe place.”
Grou Suffered Minor Injuries & Was Walking & Talking After the Stabbing
What a horrible attack at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal this morning. Father Claude Grou, Canadians are thinking of you and wishing you a swift recovery.
Oratory spokesperson Barbeau told the Montreal Gazette that Father Grou has been with the Oratory for more than 20 years & he’s beloved by people there.
Grou was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to his upper body, CBC reported. He was stabbed twice but seemed OK otherwise. Officials said his wounds were minor because the knife broke during the attack.
Just a week before the attack, Grou had tweeted from the Oratory’s Twitter account, sharing his sorrow about the attack on mosques in New Zealand. He wrote, “Let us ask the Lord to help all humanity find ways to live in peace and harmony, despite all differences.”
A similar attack has never occurred at the Oratory before. It’s visited by more than two million people every year. The basilica can seat 2,000 people, and a smaller crypt church can seat 1,000.