Downey pastor dies one week after he's diagnosed with coronavirus

DOWNEY — Alex Bernard, an outreach pastor at Desert Reign Church in Downey, died Saturday, one week after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Our hearts are heavy. Our dear Pastor Alex has gone on to be with the Lord,” the church wrote on Facebook. “He loved the Lord, his family and had a huge heart to help people. He will be missed beyond words.”

Bernard posted a selfie on March 20 from Kaiser Permanente, where he went after experiencing a dry cough. His condition quickly deteriorated.

“My brother was a faithful servant of God,” Zenaida Galindo Ortega posted on Facebook. “He loved doing the Lord’s work. Feeding the homeless on Skid Row, praying for people in the hospital, preaching in the jails in Mexico, outreaching to others with his delicious BBQ cooking. He was great man and he will be truly missed.”

“We were praying for a miracle of healing. What we had was a miracle right in front of us,” added his daughter, Crystal Harris. “My dad’s whole life was a miracle in motion out on display for everyone to see the goodness and mercy of God.”

Highly active in the community, Bernard was a member of the Rotary Club of Downey.

“Alex was always ready to lend a hand where needed in the club or here in the community,” Rotary Club President Nathan Mahoney said in an email. “He touched and blessed so many lives with his kindness and willingness to help others. His life was one of service to god and to people. It will be a huge void that will be very hard to fill. I can’t begin to imagine the pain his family is going through. I ask you please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

A GoFundMe page is collecting donations to help pay for Bernard’s funeral.

Pastor Alex Bernard prays with inmates at a Mexican jail.