Police Issue Report Following Attack on Priest at Holy Ghost Parish

As reported by LifesiteNews the assailant, 50 year old Pawel Olownia was arrested after attempting to stab the priest at the Holy Ghost Parish in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Sunday, February 9.

It is worth noting that both the priest and the assailant are Polish, and that the church is under the care of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The priest was alerted by the organist who saw the man approaching the altar. The organist stopped the entrance hymn to yell out to the priest.

Olownia apparently chased the priest around with the knife before giving up on his attack. He then stabbed his knife into the side of the altar and sat down in a back pew at the back of the altar.

An off duty RCMP officer and another congregant of the church led Olownia away, telling him that he is under arrest.

Olownia has now been charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a weapon, and disturbing a meeting. He is currently in custody and the reasoning behind the assault is still unknown. The church has yet to put out a statement on the incident.

As reported previously by the Winnipeg Free Press, Olownia has a history of violence and is known to the police. In 2018, Olownia was given 11 months of jail time for assaulting an officer, and in 2004 he was also convicted of assault and theft resulting under $5,000. For his 2004 conviction, Olownia received probation and also has impaired driving convictions.