Culiacán Priest Missing; Church Calls for Prayer
The 67-year-old pastor was last seen Oct. 24 driving to 5 p.m. Mass. Bishops entrusted Father Morales Topete to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Father Clemente Morales Topete, pastor of Cristo Resucitado parish in La Campiña, has been missing since Saturday, October 24, 2026. The 67-year-old priest of the Diocese of Culiacán, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, was last seen around 4:00 p.m. after a medical appointment in the Fraccionamiento Montebello area of Culiacán. He was then driving to his parish to celebrate the 5:00 p.m. Mass.
At the time of his disappearance, Father Morales Topete was at the wheel of a recent-model gray Toyota Hilux pickup truck with license plates UG34195. He was wearing a beige long-sleeve button shirt, beige dress pants, and gray moccasin shoes. The parish he serves is also referred to as Cristo Redentor.
Search Card and Diocesan Appeal
The Comisión Estatal de Búsqueda de Personas de Sinaloa issued search card RZC-0993-2026. Father Morales Topete is described as 1.80 meters tall, of slim build and dark complexion, with a round face, slightly slanted dark brown eyes, a broad medium nose, and short straight black hair with gray. He has a medium forehead with a slight receding hairline, a medium mouth with thick lips, and bushy eyebrows. Distinctive marks include a scar on the back right of the neck and a small mole under the right eye at cheekbone level. He has no tattoos.
Bishop Jesús José Herrera Quiñónez of Culiacán issued a statement thanking priests, the faithful, and the wider community for their solidarity. He confirmed that institutional search protocols had been activated and that authorities had been contacted. The bishop called for prayers for the priest’s safe return and invoked the intercession of St. Joseph.
Mexican Bishops Entrust Him to Our Lady
On Oct. 25, the Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano issued communiqué protocol 486/26 expressing closeness to the bishop, the family, and the parish. The conference urged authorities to fulfill their duty, asked the public to disseminate the search card, and entrusted the intention to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Anyone with information is asked to contact 667 184 1256, 667 335 2637, cebpd@sinaloa.gob.mx, or 911.
As of Tuesday, October 27, no official update has confirmed the priest’s whereabouts. His disappearance comes amid ongoing concern for clergy serving in parts of Mexico marked by violence. The faithful continue to pray for Father Morales Topete’s protection and his swift return to his flock.