Mexican Catholic Priest Shot and Gravely Wounded While En Route to Visit Sick Parishioner

Villahermosa, Mexico, July 2, 2025: A Catholic priest in Mexico, Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez, was shot and critically wounded in the early hours of June 30 while leaving his parish residence in Villahermosa, Tabasco, to visit a sick parishioner.

According to a news report published by OSV News on July 2, the gunman, reportedly on a motorcycle, shot father Héctor 4 times as he departed from the St. Francis of Assisi parish around 5.45 a.m, leaving him with severe internal injuries. The motive for the attack remains unknown, though local authorities and the Diocese of Tabasco suspect it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

Father Pérez underwent emergency surgery following the shooting and remains in "very serious" condition, according to an official statement issued by the Diocese of Tabasco. Medical personnel have intubated him for 72 hours due to a fractured humerus, injuries to his liver and colon, and significant blood loss.

Bishop Gerardo de Jesús Rojas López of Tabasco publicly condemned the attack in a statement released June 30.

“The Diocese of Tabasco expresses its total condemnation of this barbaric act,” he said. “It asks the Lord to move the hearts of the unjust aggressors to conversion and repentance and that the faithful and all people of good will join together in the search for peace for our beloved Tabasco.”

The assault underscores growing concerns over violence in Mexico, particularly in Tabasco — a Gulf coast state increasingly plagued by criminal activity such as extortion. Once seen as a relatively stable region, Tabasco has seen a rise in violent incidents, echoing the broader national trend.

Since 2006, at least 52 priests have been killed in Mexico, according to data from the Catholic Multimedia Center.

In 2022, two Jesuit priests, Joaquín Mora and Javier Campos, were murdered in their parish in northern Chihuahua state while sheltering a man who was being pursued by a known crime boss. In October 2024, Indigenous priest Father Marcelo Pérez who worked in conflict-ridden regions in southern Chiapas state, was murdered after celebrating Mass.

Courtesy: OSV News

Image Source: YouTube