A Catholic priest in the northeastern Brazilian state of Paraiba was found dead in his rectory Thursday morning, with signs of having been stabbed, according to police. The body of Fr. Pedro Gomes Bezerra, age 49, was discovered Aug. 24 in Borborema, near Guarabira. His body was found wrapped in sheets in his residence. His rectory was completely vandalized. There were about 29 punctures on his body. “Even though we are in mourning, let us stand united in prayer, professing our faith in the resurrection of the dead. And may the Lord grant eternal rest to Fr. Pedro Gomes,” said a statement from the Diocese of Guarabira, where Fr. Bezerra was a priest. The police were notified by the parish secretary when she came to work. . Fr. Bezerra's death is being mourned by the city of Borborema and by Belem, where he worked from 1999 to 2007. Belem's mayor declared three days of mourning and recalled that Fr. Bezerra had left “an importance legacy of faith and social works, such as the Good Shepherd Shelter.” “We pray to God to comfort his relatives, friends, and the Diocese of Guarabira in this moment of grief and of irreparable loss,” she said. Fr. Pedro is being buried in Guarabira on Friday.
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