Priest kayaks around Houston to gather parishioners for Mass amid heavy rains and flooding

As heavy rains continue to batter Texas, a Catholic Priest used his kayak in the flood-ravaged portion of Houston to find stranded parishioners for Sunday Mass.

Father David Bergeron of the Catholic Charismatic Center in Houston had to use his kayak to get back home after he got stranded from watching the big Mayweather v. McGregor fight, Crux reported.

When Bergeron woke up on Sunday to say Mass, he went around the city using his kayak, hoping to find people stranded along the way.

"I'm French Canadian .... this is how the Americas were evangelized, with a canoe," he told a reporter from a local Houston ABC affiliate station.

"I hope that can bring a smile to a few people, and obviously I'm praying for everyone who is in need," he added.

The priest's plan to perform Mass was derailed when he was precluded from buying alcohol due to a law that prohibits its sale in Houston before noon on a Sunday. He explained that he did not know about the rule as he usually does not buy alcohol in the morning.

As he left the liquor store, Bergeron saw some people in the flooded streets who needed help, including a man he escorted to safety with his kayak.

Bergeron noted that he did not have enough time to gather people for Mass, but he had been receiving texts from parishioners who had seen him on TV, and who told him, "I guess we're alive, and the Lord is alive, and the Lord is always with us as well."

The priest said that he is now praying for an end to the strong rains. "There are a few psalms that implore the grace of God and the washing rain, but now we have enough rain, so we just want to repent for whatever it is we need to repent for and go on," he said.

On Monday morning, the priest said in an interview with Quebec AM that the water seemed to have receded overnight, but many people are still left stranded in their homes.

Tropical Storm Harvey, which made landfall late Friday, has been considered as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in more than 50 years. The death toll from the storm has risen to eight and some 30,000 residents are expected to be left temporarily homeless due to the floods.

On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump announced that he will travel to the impact zone on Tuesday. He said that his top priority was to protect lives and he vowed that his threats to shut down the federal government would not affect the arrival of recovery funds.