'Beloved' Pastor Found Dead in Church Carpentry Workshop After 'Tragic' Woodworking Accident
A Louisiana pastor was found dead on Tuesday morning after being injured in a "tragic accident," according to church officials.
Rev. Jimmy Jeanfreau Jr., the pastor of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Marrero, was killed in a woodworking accident at a carpentry workshop on the church's campus, according to NOLA.com and Fox affiliate WVUE-DT.
After receiving a call around 9 a.m. about a medical emergency on campus, authorities arrived to find Jeanfreau unresponsive, reported CBS station WWL-TV. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office said that Jeanfreau, 60, is suspected to have died at some point on Monday night after sustaining traumatic injuries while using a lathe, a stationary tool used to shape wood, reported NOLA.com.
Immaculate Conception School Rev. Jimmy Jeanfreau Jr.
In addition to being a pastor, Jeanfreau was described by authorities as an experienced carpenter, per WVUE-DT.
A spokesperson for the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office, which did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, told NOLA.com that "there is no suspicion of foul play."
News of Jeanfreau's death was announced to the church community on Tuesday.
"It is with great sorrow that I share the news of Fr. Jimmy Jeanfreau's death," read a message from Immaculate Conception School Principal Kim DiMarco. "Our beloved pastor died in a tragic accident sometime last night and was found this morning by ICS staff."
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"This is indeed a shock," read another message posted on the church's website. "Please know you are in my prayers as I ask you to join me in prayer for the repose of Fr. Jimmy's soul and for his family."
Jeanfreau, who was ordained in 1992, was remembered by those who knew him as having a "compassion that just radiated from him."
"He was a light, and such an advocate for the Hispanic community," Amy Dudgeon, who works with a nonprofit associated with the church, told NOLA.com.
Jeanfreau was also the executive director of the Missionary Childhood Association, and Dungeon told the outlet he led trips to Bolivia and Nicaragua.
