Texas Church Cancels Masses After Priest Suspected Of Having COVID-19 Dies

A Catholic church in Houston, Texas, has canceled all in-person masses after the death of one of their priests who was suspected of having COVID-19. While the cause of death is unknown, Father Donnell Kirchner was diagnosed with pneumonia and died at home, where he lived with seven other members of the Holy Ghost Catholic Church.

Everybody living with Kirchner was tested, and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston said that five people in the house had contracted the coronavirus.

"While the individuals themselves are asymptomatic, they, and the other members of the community, are in quarantine in the residence isolated from the others," officials with the church said in a statement.

The church said that two of the priests who tested positive participated in public masses since they reopened on May 2. They asked members of their congregation who attended mass to monitor their health.

"If anyone has attended Masses in person at Holy Ghost Church since the reopening, we strongly encourage you to monitor your health for any symptoms and be tested for COVID-19, as a precautionary measure," the church said.

Photo: KTRK-TV