El Paso Catholic priest who disappeared is found safe

UPDATE: The missing priest was found safe, the El Paso Catholic Diocese said early Friday.

Church officials thanked police and the community for their efforts to help locate him, but said they would provide no further comment about his disappearance or the circumstances surrounding how he was found,

ORIGINAL REPORT: EL PASO, Texas -- An El Paso Catholic priest has vanished, diocese officials said Thursday after reporting him missing to police.

Fr. Antonio Martinez Ceballos, 48, assistant pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in the Lower Valley, was last seen Tuesday evening at the church.

“Our prayers are with Father Martinez,” Bishop Mark Seitz said, "and we hope that the community can help us locate him soon.”

The bishop urged anyone with information on the priest's disappearance to contact EPPD's Crimes Against Persons unit at at (915) 212-4040.