Tense scenes erupt as bishop and churchgoers allegedly stabbed during church service

Content Warning: This article mentions graphic descriptions of violent crime, including stabbing. Reader discretion is advised.

The tranquillity of a church service was shattered in a horrific turn of events at Wakeley’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Western Sydney, leaving the community in shock.

On Monday evening, 15 April, at approximately 7:10 pm, the solemnity of a live-streamed service was violently disrupted when a bishop and three congregants were allegedly stabbed in an attack that has since sent ripples of distress across the nation.



The service, which was broadcast on social media, captured the incident in which Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was approached by a young male dressed in black.

The assailant allegedly lunged at the bishop, stabbing him multiple times in the head and upper body, as screams echoed through the church and parishioners rushed to intervene.

The live feed abruptly ended.


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Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was allegedly stabbed during church service at Wakeley’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church. Credit: Christ The Good Shepherd Church / Facebook


Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland reported that the congregation ‘apprehended the young male and held him down until the police arrived’.

The suspect, a teenager with a known history to police but not a regular attendee of the church, was arrested and is currently assisting with inquiries.

His identity has been withheld, and he is being held at an ‘undisclosed location’.

‘Police have initially spoken to the young person, (but) his injuries are quite severe, he’s fairly upset and distraught. He’s asked to speak to his parents, and we’re making arrangements for (him),’ Holland said.

Emergency services responded to the scene, where New South Wales Ambulance paramedics treated four individuals.

A man in his 50s was taken to Liverpool Hospital in serious condition with multiple lacerations.

Another man in his 30s also received hospital treatment for lacerations, while two others were treated for less severe injuries at the scene.



The aftermath of the attack saw an angry mob of hundreds gather at the church, leading to further chaos as riot police were deployed to disperse the crowd.

During the confrontation, two police officers sustained injuries—one with a twisted knee and chipped tooth, the other with a broken jaw—after being struck by a brick and a fence paling.

‘We are a little bit disappointed in the community themselves. They’ve thrown weapons and items at the church itself...obviously, people who wanted to get access to the young person,’ Holland added.

The police will maintain surveillance over places of religious gathering as they continue to restore peace and order.


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The alleged stabbing of the bishop was seen on livestream, which abruptly ended. Credit: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube


Liverpool Hospital's Emergency Department temporarily closed its doors to non-emergency cases as a ‘precautionary measure’, given the large crowds that had formed outside.

‘The ED remained open at all times to those requiring care, including those arriving via personal car or via ambulance,’ a hospital spokesperson said.

The church has since issued a statement confirming that Bishop Emmanuel and a senior priest are in stable condition and appealing for peace and prayers in the wake of the violence.



This incident has prompted community leaders and officials to speak out. NSW Premier Chris Minns described the scene as disturbing and called for calm.

‘My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and first responders who are working to keep us safe,’ the premier said.

‘It’s important that the community remain calm and continue to listen and act to the directions of Police and Emergency Services.’

‘We are a strong community in NSW, and it’s important that we all stick together, particularly in the face of adversity.’



The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community shared its profound sadness and shock, unequivocally condemning the attack and extending sympathy to the victims.

‘We extend our deepest sympathy to all those injured in the attack and wish them a speedy and complete recovery,’ the community’s National President and Grand Imam expressed.

Cumberland City Councillor and former Mayor Steve Christou also condemned the ‘unprovoked and mindless attack’, urging the community to focus on love and prayer rather than anger.

The attack comes after another stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction, which claimed six lives and injured several others, including a baby girl.

There is no indication that the two events are connected.

You can watch Sunrise’s coverage below:


Credit: 7NEWS Australia / YouTube

Key Takeaways
  • A Christian bishop and three churchgoers were allegedly stabbed during a service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, Western Sydney.
  • The alleged attack occurred during a live-streamed service and led to tense scenes as police and ambulance were called to the scene.
  • A teenage boy, known to police and not a regular attendee of the church, has been arrested in connection to the stabbings.
  • Community leaders and officials, including the NSW Premier, have urged calm and condemned the violence, offering support to the victims.
We at the Seniors Discount Club extend our heartfelt thoughts to the victims and their families and commend the bravery of those who intervened.
 
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I’m not surprised that the people want blood of these assailants. There are far too many incidents like this happening in Australia now and the average person has had enough! The fact that they were very angry is not surprising and it might have been better if he had also received the same treatment as the moron who killed 6 at Bondi Junction. It’s a pity that that whole incident was published on the internet because it just gives other idiots ideas of what to do. He must be tried as an adult as he has behaved like one and now he wants his mummy and his daddy, as if he was a kid. Too many of these kids get off on mental health issue causes.
 
I do agree that this is bad but I also feel the lynch mob mentality will never let the truth get in the way of a good hanging. Let our legal system find out why this happened calmly and deal with it in the way our society has chosen to see fit. We may not all like or agree with our legal system but it stops us killing each other often for misguided and wrong reasons. Otherwise we will all descend back into an eye for an eye and none of us will be safe anymore.
 
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This preacher has been putting out a lot of 'hate' talk about a lot of religions - he called the Anglican church 'sons of a snake' in one of his Youtube videos. It is inevitable that someone out there would get mad enough to do the unthinkable. He has been insulting and highly critical, which of course is very inflammatory to some. This kind of preaching is not very Christ like at all. Love thy neighbour, turn the other cheek, forgive, show kindness, season your words with salt, the tongue is a weapon. As a Bishop I'm very surprised by the constant sprays he did on Youtube. But anyway. Hopefully he survives this attack.
 
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This preacher has been putting out a lot of 'hate' talk about a lot of religions - he called the Anglican church 'sons of a snake' in one of his Youtube videos. It is inevitable that someone out there would get mad enough to do the unthinkable. He has been insulting and highly critical, which of course is very inflammatory to some. This kind of preaching is not very Christ like at all. Love thy neighbour, turn the other cheek, forgive, show kindness, season your words with salt, the tongue is a weapon. As a Bishop I'm very surprised by the constant sprays he did on Youtube. But anyway. Hopefully he survives this attack.
Thank you for your information, I was not aware that he was not in favour of all religions. Where are you a Bishop and of what religion please?
 
Why is this an alleged act? the meaning of alleged is:

'said or thought by some people to be the stated bad or illegal thing, although you have no proof'

The people in hospital suffering from stab wounds are proof enough.
The media is just @SS covering.

Your logic is sound.

Unfortunately logic cannot guarantee that a jury will convict someone. So they won't risk being sued for defamation.
 
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Time to rid mankind of this crap called religion. So hypocritical in that it preaches "peace" under the guise of war. Just what is the current situation in Gaza is all about.

Demolish every church, mosque, synagogue and temple in existence. Burn every Bible, Koran and other books espousing the fakery of religion.... Fahrenheit 451 style.

Religion, overtly or covertly, has caused more deaths through war than all natural disasters in the history of mankind. That includes earthquakes, floods, pandemics, fires and tsunamis combined.

Can't wait for all the god botherers and devil dodgers to go up in arms.
 
The media is just @SS covering.

Your logic is sound.

Unfortunately logic cannot guarantee that a jury will convict someone. So they won't risk being sued for defamation.
Yes, there are several important reasons why the word alleged is used in reporting on a crime. It's really all to do with the legal system in this country.
  • The principle of "innocent until proven guilty" is a fundamental right.
  • By using "alleged," journalists acknowledge that an accusation has been made but refrain from assigning guilt before a court verdict.
  • It allows journalists to report on the matter in a responsible way and to present claims whilst protecting themselves against potential legal consequences. Using "alleged", gives them the freedom to report whilst everyone waits for the courts judgement.
Whilst it can be rash to make assumptions, the way that some people use social media is appalling. Those that put up videos of the Bondi tragedy should reflect on whether their actions caused a copycat triggering event. The police are the only people to post such videos to as it can form valuable evidence as long as it's not been tampered with. I can only hope those close to the victims were spared from viewing.

I much prefer the actions of the life guard and others who chose to assist those lying on the ground over any goose with a camera.
 
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Time to rid mankind of this crap called religion. So hypocritical in that it preaches "peace" under the guise of war. Just what is the current situation in Gaza is all about.

Demolish every church, mosque, synagogue and temple in existence. Burn every Bible, Koran and other books espousing the fakery of religion.... Fahrenheit 451 style.

Religion, overtly or covertly, has caused more deaths through war than all natural disasters in the history of mankind. That includes earthquakes, floods, pandemics, fires and tsunamis combined.

Can't wait for all the god botherers and devil dodgers to go up in arms.
Each to his own, I choose to be Catholic.
 
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Time to rid mankind of this crap called religion. So hypocritical in that it preaches "peace" under the guise of war. Just what is the current situation in Gaza is all about.

Demolish every church, mosque, synagogue and temple in existence. Burn every Bible, Koran and other books espousing the fakery of religion.... Fahrenheit 451 style.

Religion, overtly or covertly, has caused more deaths through war than all natural disasters in the history of mankind. That includes earthquakes, floods, pandemics, fires and tsunamis combined.

Can't wait for all the god botherers and devil dodgers to go up in arms.
Being an atheist myself I would like to suggest that you calm down a little bit.

The primary killer of humans in the 21'st Century is heart failure.
 
This preacher has been putting out a lot of 'hate' talk about a lot of religions - he called the Anglican church 'sons of a snake' in one of his Youtube videos. It is inevitable that someone out there would get mad enough to do the unthinkable. He has been insulting and highly critical, which of course is very inflammatory to some. This kind of preaching is not very Christ like at all. Love thy neighbour, turn the other cheek, forgive, show kindness, season your words with salt, the tongue is a weapon. As a Bishop I'm very surprised by the constant sprays he did on Youtube. But anyway. Hopefully he survives this attack.
Strange my husband has watched alot of his sermons over the past year and was actually amazed at what a sincere preacher he is. Hubby has not seen an orthodox priest treat all people as one regardless what religion you are.

Can you please put up the YouTube link you are talking about so I can watch it.
 
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Regardless of this boys age he needs to suffer the consequences.

Unfortunately there are certain Moslems out there with crazy religious beliefs.

There are crazy people in all religions. We are lucky that we have a government with zero tolerance with terrorism.

It definitely isn't right what this young man did but neither was it ok what that lynch mob did. Police were seriously injured , over 20 police cars were a right off and paramedics were held up for over 3 hours . The only words for all of this is Bloody disgusting and VERY UN AUSTRALIAN
 
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Strange my husband has watched alot of his sermons over the past year and was actually amazed at what a sincere preacher he is. Hubby has not seen an orthodox priest treat all people as one regardless what religion you are.

Can you please put up the YouTube link you are talking about so I can watch it.


It's a reasonably well rounded report, Runs for a bit over 11 minutes.
Worth watching if you haven't seen it already.
 
Time to rid mankind of this crap called religion. So hypocritical in that it preaches "peace" under the guise of war. Just what is the current situation in Gaza is all about.

Demolish every church, mosque, synagogue and temple in existence. Burn every Bible, Koran and other books espousing the fakery of religion.... Fahrenheit 451 style.

Religion, overtly or covertly, has caused more deaths through war than all natural disasters in the history of mankind. That includes earthquakes, floods, pandemics, fires and tsunamis combined.

Can't wait for all the god botherers and devil dodgers to go up in arms.
Well, well- you sound exactly like the peeps who committed these crimes!!

It’s not the ‘religion’s’ fault as most religions have peace in their ways!
I am a Christian & as I used to say when teaching adult faith, the institution of Christ’s church is perfect as He was, it’s the people who aren’t perfect!
There is good & bad in every religion & let’s face it NONE of us are perfect!!
Anyhow, I won’t argue with you (you have a right to your opinion), because, as my dear mum used to say, “you can’t argue with a fool”!!!
I’ll say a prayer for you because you obviously need one!
Such a pity this so-called “Seniors”(?) Club seems to be just another social media outlet for trolls & nasty people!!
God help the nursing homes when they are full of nasty old crones like some are on this Forum!
Most people on this Forum are probably nice, peaceful, tolerant peeps, but you always get the ‘others’!!
I feel sorry for you, why don’t you just be nice? Don’t criticise other peoples beliefs, you’re welcome to your opinion but so are us ‘godbotherers’ as you call us people of faith!!
“To err is human, to forgive is divine”!
It is sad what we humans do to each other sometimes, using God’s name to perpetrate the evil we do!!
Have a wonderful day wherever you are!
🙏😊
 
The media is just @SS covering.

Your logic is sound.

Unfortunately logic cannot guarantee that a jury will convict someone. So they won't risk being sued for defamation.
It was all broadcast, so there will be no doubts about what happened and by whom. Hopefully that will be enough to convict this person.
 
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It's a reasonably well rounded report, Runs for a bit over 11 minutes.
Worth watching if you haven't seen it already.

Yeh I've seen all this. I was asking @Pamsterdam To post the video she was talking about, this was her comment " This preacher has been putting out a lot of 'hate' talk about a lot of religions - he called the Anglican church 'sons of a snake' in one of his Youtube videos"

I have only seen good preaching from him and nothing but peaceful sermons
 
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