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Naperville Pastor Angel Escamilla Dies Of COVID-19

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Naperville pastor has died of COVID-19.

He had been critically ill for a week after testing positive for the coronavirus. CBS 2's Jim Williams has more.

Well beyond the Calvary Church in Naperville, they prayed for assistant pastor Angel Escamilla. He tested positive for COVID-19 last Tuesday and was in the hospital with pneumonia.

Online, the church's lead pastor Marty Sloan asked for a miracle.

"The best we can do is come together in prayer and touch pastor Escamilla's body and heal him tonight," Sloan said.

On Monday he wrote that Escamilla, who was in his late 60s, had died.

"It saddens my heart to tell you that pastor angel Escamilla has passed away from this life. Our prayers were not in vain as they turned our hearts toward the hope we have in heaven."

On the church's website, Pastor Escamilla said he had been in the ministry for 40 years and also served as a missionary and a teacher.

He had been married for 40 years and had two sons and ten grandchildren. On Facebook, church members called him a good and kind man. The church said to keep its members safe from the coronavirus, it held online services only since March 7.

In his church biography, Pastor Escamilla said "I am passionate about living life without regret or fear."

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