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Gunman kills two monks, wounds two other people before killing himself in northwest Missouri...

CONCEPTION, Mo. -- A gunman opened fire at a Roman Catholic Abbey on Monday, killing two monks and wounding two other monks, before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. 
The shooter was found in a chapel at Conception Abbey Benedictine monastery with two weapons, an AK-47 and a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle, authorities said.

Nodaway County Sheriff Ben Espey said officers found a suspicious package in the suspect's car and that federal agents had been called in to investigate.  The two monks killed were Brother Damian Larson, who was known as "the weather monk," and Father Philip Schuster. Larson posted daily weather information on the abbey's Web site. Schuster was in semi-retirement and was formerly a chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in Maryville, sources at the abbey told the Post-Dispatch.

Espey said officers had been sent to the shooter's home with a search warrant. 
The Rev. Gregory Polan, abbot of Conception, said monks heard noises about 8:40 a.m. and barred themselves in their rooms when they realized it was gunshots.  ``There's a lot of shock and sadness,'' Polan said. ``These were two monks whose lives have been lived here in a generous, gracious spirit.''

Polan said he was shown a driver's license of the shooter and ``we have no sense of who this man is.''  One of the injured was in serious condition at Heartland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph and the other was in surgery Monday at St. Francis Hospital in Maryville.  Last year, two dozen Benedictine sisters moved from Affton to the Benedictine convent in Clyde, Mo., less than five miles down U.S. Highway 47 from Conception Abbey. None of them was involved in the shooting. However, the priest and the brother who were killed were frequent visitors at the convent. The daily mass at the Convent was said by various abbey priests. The sisters and the monks follow the same monastic rules of St. Benedict.

"Of course all the sisters very upset, and praying for the dead," said Diane Schieber, an employee in the convent's altar breads department.  "They were very close to Father Schuster and Brother Damian. Father Schuster came over to say daily mass frequently. And everyone loves Brother Damian."

The Rev. Gregory Polan, abbot of Conception, said monks heard noises about 8:40 a.m. and barred themselves in their rooms when they realized it was gunshots.  ``There's a lot of shock and sadness,'' Polan said. ``These were two monks whose lives have been lived here in a generous, gracious spirit.''  Polan said he was shown a driver's license of the shooter and ``we have no sense of who this man is.''

The college lists a staff of 19 priests, eight brothers, one sister, six lay professors and a student body of 97.  The abbey is located on a 30-acre rural campus about 90 miles north of Kansas City.  Ronda Strueby, 39, a supervisor in the packaging department of the Abbey's printing house, said all employees were evacuated about 9 a.m.

``One of the monks, Brother Jeremiah, said there's a man in the monastery with a gun, and we need everyone to evacuate,'' she said. ``We were all told to go home.  ``There's a lot of helicopters and things around now. We heard he was in the monastery connected to the church. ... It's just not something you think about happening especially in a religious institution.''

The amazing Bayside Prophecies...
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995.

Priests will be shot down like targets in the streets...
Our Lady - "O My children, your streets will run with blood because you have not listened. Pastors, a great attack is being planned against the priesthood. You will be shot down like targets in the streets. Prepare now and pray. Wear your sacramentals. Protect Our sheep now; the battle is raging." (9-7-77)

There are many in the clergy that shall be shot dead...
Our Lady - "There are many now walking the earth who are shells of humans. They will no longer be called humans. They will be called animals. They have given themselves to satan. They have sold their souls to get to the head. And there are many in the clergy that shall be shot dead.
    "These groups that are gathering, My children, they have no respect for life. They'll use all manner of firearms and they'll even use the knife.
    "My children, it is not a reign of terror I set upon the world. I warn you now what is happening has been caused because you failed. You failed to listen to counsels from Heaven. You failed to mend your ways. The few who will be saved are few. And you may now count the days.
    "The angel of death is among you. He walks in human form. He'll gather now those about him, and evil he will spawn.
    "I tell you now, My children, you must now mend your ways. I tell you now, My children, you will soon be counting days." (8-13-77)

Pray for the priests...

Since the early 1970's, Our Lady of the Roses Shrine has held a Holy Hour for the clergy every Sunday morning from 10:30am till noon, outside in rain or snow all year long.  Will you join us each Sunday at this time in prayer to save our priests?