Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

The beloved pastor of a New York City church has become the first Catholic priest in the United States to die from the coronavirus.

The Rev. Jorge Ortiz-Garay, 49, served as a pastor of St. Brigid's Church in Brooklyn. He died Friday at a hospital, the diocese said.

BROOKLYN PRINCIPAL, 36, DIES OF CORONAVIRUS COMPLICATIONS, OFFICIALS SAY

The coronavirus has killed nearly 1,000 people in New York State, which has become the U.S. epicenter of the disease with a growing surge of cases.

“This is a sad day and a tremendous loss for the Diocese of Brooklyn,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, the head of the diocese.

CLICK FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

“Father Jorge was a great priest, beloved by the Mexican people and a tireless worker for all of the faithful in Brooklyn and Queens,” DiMarzio said. “It is unfortunate that he was overcome by the coronavirus because of underlying health issues.”

Ortiz-Garay was born in Mexico City and became a priest in the U.S. after working as a lawyer.