Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI succumbed to cardiac arrest
Church • 17:00 PM Sun May 23, 2021
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Photo posted by Institute of Autonomy and Governance (IAG) and a grab from his FB page.
COTABATO CITY – A priest who survived Covid-19 succumbed to cardiac arrest Sunday while on his road to recovery, his congregation today said.
“It is with great sadness that we announced the passing of Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr, OMI at 3:25 p.m. today at the CRMC,” Fr. Amador Castillo, OMI, the Mercado’s colleague, announced Sunday.
He was tested positive to SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19, but have survived and was ready to go home when he suffered cardiac arrest at past 3 p.m. Sunday.
He is 72 years old and would have celebrated his 73rd birthday on May 29. He was born on 1948.
Fr. Mercado has undergone heart bypass operation many years ago. He has a pacemaker.
The OMI congregation said Fr. Mercado has experienced COVID-19 symptoms at his residence at the OMI Novitiate in Tamontaka, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao and was admitted to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center (CRMC) on May 8.
After having undergone tests, CRMC confirmed that Fr. Jun was positive with the virus.
For several days and weeks, he fought successfully against the virus and its symptoms in spite of many complications and on May 22, his RT-PCR test finally yielded a Covid-19 negative result.
“Things seemed to go well and he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the CRMC to complete his recovery when suddenly around 3:20PM today, May 23, his heart stopped due to heart attack,” the OMI said.
“Emergency Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was administered to him several times by the hospital staff of CRMC until his body finally gave up and was not responding anymore to any of the medical intervention being given to him,” it added.
Fr. Mercado, a senior member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, was the third priest in the Archdiocese of Cotabato who succumbed to complications due to novel coronavirus 2019 while confined at the CRMC.
On Friday night, Fr. Loreto Sanoy of the Diocesan Clergy of Cotabato (DCC) breathed his last at the CRMC due to COVID-19 complications. He expired at 8:25 p.m.
At about 1 a.m. on Saturday, another diocesan priest, Fr. Rex Bacero, also of DCC, died due to COVID-19 in the same hospital.
The ashes of Fr. Sanoy and Fr. Bacero are now at the archdiocesan Mausoleum inside the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral parish in Cotabato City.