The deaths of at least 7 Catholic priests have been reported in Italy as a result of the Coronavirus.

Monsignor Vincenzo Rini, a priest of the Diocese of Cremona, close to Milan, died on Saturday, March 14, after being infected with Coronavirus.

Msgr. Rini ran Cremona’s diocesan newspaper for 30 years, and was at one time the president of the Italian bishops’ news agency. He was also a novelist, and a noted literary expert, who served as the Church’s liaison to the Cristina di Savoia Cultural Congresses, which aim to promote Christian culture in Italy.

In addition to Rini, 6 priests in the Diocese of Bergamo have been reported dead of the coronavirus by Italian news site Bergamo News.

According to Bergamonews, Bishop Francesco Bechi told Italian journalists that in addition to six priests in his diocese who have died of the virus, 20 others have been hospitalized.

Bergamo, a city northest of Milan, has been identified as the region most afflicted by infections of coronavirus in the country.