A Catholic priest in California was found dead on Wednesday inside the church's rectory, shortly after a break-in occurred at a nearby church, the New York Daily News reported.

Authorities discovered the body of Rev. Eric Freed at the St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Eureka -- around 300 miles north of San Francisco -- after parishioners realized he didn't show up for the normal 9 a.m. mass.

Though officials have not announced how Freed was murdered, they mentioned they are searching for his car -- a 2010 Nissan Altima.

Hours after Freed was found, police were also called to Sacred Heart Church, just two miles away from St. Bernard's, after reports of a man rummaging through the church.

The suspect escaped before authorities could catch him.

Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Lt. Dave Morey told the Times-Standard that officials are still uncertain of a connection between the two incidents.

"We have no idea, but we are treating it like it might be, just to be careful," Morey said.

City officials and colleagues remembered Freed as an instrumental part of the community.

"He was a tremendous person in this community," said Mayor Frank Jager to reporters outside the church. "This is an absolutely tremendous loss not only for the St. Bernard's parish, but for our community in general."

Freed began his work as a pastor at the northern California church in 2011. He also taught in the Religious Studies Department as Humboldt State University for 10 years.

"He was a really, genuinely warm individual," Stephen Cunha, chairman of the department, told CNN. "This was not some stuffy clergyman. He was very much someone that you could sit down and speak with. ... He connected with everybody."

The reverend was especially connected with the area's Japanese community after living in Japan for 20 years and profiling a Hiroshima bomb victim.

"He was very well respected, very well-liked and had a tremendous working knowledge as well as academic knowledge," Cunha added. "To think that he passed in this way, it's just layers of grief and shock."