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‘Forgiveness’: St. Johns County priest shares hope-filled message after being stabbed while having coffee

Arierana Gibbs, 22, is being charged with attempted second-degree murder

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Augustine pastor is almost back in the pulpit after a random stabbing attack while having coffee in downtown St. Augustine in October.

The attack happened on Oct. 23 around 8 a.m. in front of a cafe near the intersection of San Marco Avenue and Rohde Avenue. The woman charged with stabbing him, Ariena Gibbs, 22, is now being charged with attempted second-degree murder. Reports stated that Gibbs tried to stab others nearby, but then she ran into Marino.

Father Matt Marino of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida stated that in that moment, he made a deal with God that would allow him to live and walk his daughter down the aisle.

“I was laying on the ground having a conversation with God, ‘Gosh, I would really rather not die today, Lord’, and I felt like he said ‘yes,’” he said.

The attack left Marino with a broken rib, a stab wound and an infection.

Related: St. Augustine priest recovering after random stabbing attack while having coffee

“She hit my lung and pulmonary artery,” he said.

That usually means death in the medical world. After hearing about his story, News4JAX met with Father Marino.

He said nothing was going right on that day in late October. He experienced an issue before he was airlifted to the hospital.

“The chest compression needle hits my rib and then they won’t fly, and I am going, ‘Wow, that is five completely remote things that can ever happen all work together’. I was thinking I was having a hard time catching a break today,” he said.

Father Marino lost a lot of blood and had to be transported to the hospital. But he said his survival was helped by the divine.

“The one guy in the county that happens to have a combat chest seal, there is an officer with customs and border control who personally upgraded his first aid program and he just happens to be driving the long way to work, sees me, pulls over and slaps that on and saves my life,” he said.

Father Marino described the moment when he was stabbed.

“I think what she said was, ‘I have problems’. When you tell us a pastor you have problems, we ask, ‘What is your story?’, and as she leans forward, she pulls out a knife and sticks it in and pulls it out,” Marino said.

Marino told News4JAX his focus wasn’t to tell a negative story, and it wasn’t to shame the person who did it. He said he is focused on getting back to his church and delivering the most important message.

“That forgiveness is available, and enjoy your forgiveness, that is made available in Jesus Christ,” he said.

Father Marino thanked all of the first responders who showed up and helped him.

Gibbs is currently in St. Johns County Jail and is being held without bond.


About the Author
John Asebes headshot

John anchors at 9 a.m. on The Morning Show with Melanie Lawson and then jumps back into reporter mode after the show with the rest of the incredibly talented journalists at News4JAX.

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