Priest with COVID-19 broadcasts the Mass live on Facebook, assisted by an oxygen cylinder

As long as he can, Fr. Miguel José Medina Oramas wants to continue praying with his congregation.
It is impossible not to be moved to see Fr. Miguel José Medina Oramas' tenacity, zeal and desire to serve Jesus Christ and his church. Fr Medina is the pastor of Santa Luisa de Marillac, in Mérida, the capital of Yucatán (southeastern Mexico), and although he contracted COVID-19, he has not stopped celebrating Mass and sharing it online for his flock .
The picture is worth a thousand words: a priest fully clothed, emaciated and with oxygen tubes in his nose, celebrating the live broadcast on Facebook - evidently suffering from the virus, but doing his best for the good of his parents. faithful.

Unable to celebrate Mass with a congregation, especially after falling ill in early August, he celebrated Mass in a chapel and streamed it live on the parish Facebook page. The account already has over 20.000 followers.

He decided he "wouldn't stand by and cross his arms" during the pandemic, he told El Universal, and he didn't. First from his room and then in a chapel, he continues to be in contact with his parishioners and with many other people who join his broadcasts, he inspired his exceptional endeavor. We can only imagine the price he has to take on him.

Many of the faithful who follow him on social networks thank him for his testimony, while others, perhaps moved by the effort Fr. Medina is doing (he has just turned 66 and has been a priest for 38 years), to suggest that it would be more prudent for him to rest.

His strength in dealing with COVID-19, he says, comes from his religious sisters and brothers who pray for him. Living live on Facebook makes him happy because he is aware of the spiritual value of his sacrifice. He also joins the community virtually to recite the Holy Rosary.

“I deeply trust in the power of prayer and I believe that thanks to it I can stand up to COVID-19. [I feel] the caress of God in my heart and his sweetness through so many brothers who pray for me ”, said Fr. Medina when interviewed by El Universal.

Read more: Priests who received COVID-19 recover with the help of their flocks
The testimonials shared by followers in comments on his Facebook publications are a clear reflection of the impact of this Yucatan priest's ministry.

For example, we can take the words of Ángeles del Carmen Pérez Álvarez: “Thank you, God of mercy, because you allowed Fr. Miguel, despite being sick, continues to feed his sheep through social networks. Bless him, Holy Father, giving him healing, if it is your will. Amen."

On 11 August, the official Facebook page of the parish of Santa Luisa de Marillac published the following message:

“Good evening, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers and your love. We would like to inform you about the state of health of Fr. Miguel José Medina Oramas. He tested positive for COVID-19 and, in light of the results, he is already receiving medical care and treatment required by the Church “.

During a recent Eucharistic celebration, Fr. Medina said that although she has trouble sleeping at night, she has discovered her mission: to pray for the sick and dying who are hospitalized due to the coronavirus. Pray that God will protect them, as He is protecting him so far