AMERICA/UNITED STATES - Parish Pastor of Saint Patrick's Church in Chatham, New Jersey killed

Chatham (Agenzia Fides) – The lifeless body of Fr. Ed Hinds, Pastor of Saint Patrick's Church in New Jersey, nearly 10 miles from Newark, was found the morning of Saturday, October 24, in the kitchen of the Rectory adjacent to the Church, covered in various marks of blows to the head and stab wounds. On Saturday morning, a little after 8am, a deacon and another member of the maintenance staff went to look for him, as he did not arrive for the morning Mass, and discovered the evidence of the murder. The priest, age 61, had last been seen the previous evening, around 11pm, in a community gathering near the Rectory, and was fine. Very active in support of the underprivileged, the priest was considered the heart and soul of the community of Saint Patrick's, where he served as Pastor for 7 years. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 26/10/2009)