Pittsburgh bishop prays for end to violence after governor’s mansion arson attack

By Jonah McKeown

CNA Staff, Apr 14, 2025 /
15:32 pm

A Catholic bishop in Pennsylvania expressed shock and offered prayers after a 38-year-old man was arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to murder Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family by setting the governor’s residence ablaze early Sunday morning.

“We should all be shocked at the reported act of arson at the residence of Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family,” Bishop David Zubik of the Diocese of Pittsburgh said in an April 13 statement. The incident took place in Harrisburg, the state capital.  

Zubik called to mind the shared patrimony of the Christian and Jewish people and the fact that the incident took place both during Holy Week and during the Jewish celebration of Passover. Shapiro — a Democrat who took office in 2023 — and his family are Jewish. 

“Particularly during this Holy Week for Christians and Passover time for the Jewish people, we focus on the deep love that God has for all of us. We must be deeply grateful that Gov. Shapiro and his family are safe, and we must also pray for an end to violence, which goes against everything good about us as human beings,” Zubik said. 

Cody Balmer, 38, allegedly managed to scale an iron security fence and enter the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg, quickly setting a fire in a dining room using improvised incendiary devices, police said at a press conference. Shapiro and his family were able to escape unharmed, but the residence was heavily damaged. 

Balmer told police he planned to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer if he had found him inside the house. Prosecutors have charged Balmer with attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and other crimes, NPR reported. He may face federal charges as well. 

Police have not announced whether they have uncovered a motive for the attack other than saying Balmer “admitted to harboring hatred towards Gov. Shapiro.” The suspect’s mother told the Associated Press that her son “wasn’t taking his medicine” at the time of the attack. 

At a press conference Sunday, Shapiro, an observant Jew who had celebrated a Passover Seder with his wife, four children, and extended family at their home the night before the attack, said he was “overwhelmed by the prayers and messages of support” and vowed not to be deterred if, in fact, the suspect was attempting to intimidate him because of his Jewish faith. 

“No one will deter me, or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly,” he said. 

Shapiro also said FBI Director Kash Patel had been responsive and helpful and had vowed to fully investigate the incident. 

Vice President JD Vance weighed in on social media Sunday evening, thanking God that the attack was unsuccessful. 

“Thanks be to God that Governor Shapiro and his family were unharmed in this attack,” Vance wrote. 

“Really disgusting violence, and I hope whoever did it is brought swiftly to justice.”

As Pennsylvania’s attorney general — a post he held from 2017 to 2023 — Shapiro conducted an 18-month investigation into thousands of alleged instances of abuse in several of Pennsylvania’s Catholic dioceses spanning several decades. The resulting report, released in April 2018, led to a flurry of similar reports in other states highlighting alleged abuse by Catholic clergy.

Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.