The Rev. Otis Young, a retired priest at St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington, and Ruth Prats, a pastoral associate, have been missing since Sunday, according to a WWL-TV report citing the Rev. Daniel Brouillette, a pastor at the church.
Sgt. Edwin Masters, a spokesman for Covington Police, confirmed that a missing persons report was filed late Sunday for Prats.
The report comes as St. Tammany Parish authorities continue to investigate the discovery of two burned bodies in Covington Monday. Authorities have not released the names of the victims.
A statement Monday on St. Peter's website said, "Our community has been rocked by this morning's news of the double homicide in downtown Covington."
The church also said it will be holding a "Holy Hour" tonight at 7 p.m.
The bodies were discovered behind a company in the 500 block of Gibson Street when employees arrived for the workday around 7 a.m.
Masters said evidence at the scene indicates the deaths are homicides. But the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office will make the determination on a cause of death.
St. Peter Catholic School and St. Scholastica Academy, also in downtown Covington, released students early Monday.
The crime stunned Covington residents.
"You like to think Covington is immune to these tragedies, but we're not," Covington Mayor Mark Johnson said.
Susan White, owner of Artmasters Screenprinting nearby, said she has several outdoor cameras and was expecting police to ask for them. It wouldn’t be the first time -- but until now they’ve been used only to solve a few car accidents, she said.
“It’s weird to start a normal Monday work day, especially after a holiday, and see this," White said. "This shouldn't happen in Covington.”
Some residents of a nearby apartment building, meanwhile, found their vehicles blocked in by crime scene tape as the investigation continued.
“Our hearts have been shattered by this unfathomable crime,” St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said in a post on the parish government's Facebook page. “We stand behind the Covington Police Department and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office as they investigate this heinous action. Please join me in praying for the families and friends of the victims and the entire Covington community.”
Check back with NOLA.com for more on this story as it develops.