A death investigation is underway after a body was found inside a Hernando County church on Sunday.

  • Body discovered inside Spring Hill church
  • Death not considered suspicious
  • Services canceled at Our Lady of Fatima church

Services were canceled at Our Lady of Fatima church in Spring Hill.

"It's just a shock to see something like that going Sunday morning to mass and find yourself with something like that," Carmen Gomez said. "I wasn't sure to this point I still don't know what really happened."

"I was there by 8:30. And as I was walking to the church I saw a lot of police cars and fire department and everything else and I saw the yellow ribbon, she said. "I had no idea what was going on."

Although the Sheriff's Office is not confirming the person's identity, parishioners in the tight-knit community tell us it was a priest.

Gomez says they have all been in prayer today and she hopes they'll be able to move forward after this tragic incident.

"It's not going to be the same. I was so happy in this church. I just moved down here and I was so happy that I had found a church close to me you know that I could go and be there and now this happens," Gomez said.

This death is not considered suspicious although the Sheriff's Office couldn't specify exactly what happened.