A Catholic priest was shot and killed after saying Mass in the northern Philippine town of Gattaran in Cagayan province on April 29. Police said Father Mark Anthony Yuaga Ventura, 37, was shot twice by a lone gunman.

The priest was blessing children who attended the Mass while talking to members of the choir when a man in motorcycle helmet approached him.

Father Ventura sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest and died at the scene, according to the police.

The assailant walked out of the gymnasium, where the Mass was held, and fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice.

Minutes after the shooting, pictures uploaded on social media showed the lifeless body of the priest on the ground near the altar.

Father Ventura, known for being an anti-mining advocate and for his work with tribal people in the province of Cagayan, was ordained a priest in 2011.