A Filipina Benedictine nun has died in Spain due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a post on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippiines (CBCP) website.
Sr. Maria Gratia Balagat was only visiting Spain to renew her visa, her religious congregation reported.
She was the superior of the Benedictine community in India.
“And while there (in Spain), (she) contracted the virus,” the US-based Missionary Benedictine Sisters – Norfolk Priory said in a Facebook post.
“Please pray for her and for her community in India and for the whole congregation during this difficult time,” the post reads.
The group also said Benedictine sisters are on the frontlines in their hospitals and clinics in Korea, the Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Brazil and India.
The Catholic Educational of the Philippines (CEAP), a group of Catholic schools, offered condolences through its Facebook page.
As of March 29, the death toll in Spain has jumped to 5,982, while the number of confirmed cases also went up to around 73,235.
