A Roman Catholic priest in the Detroit area has taken aim at his parishioners in a bid to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, using a squirt gun to shoot holy water.

He wore a mask, face shield and rubber gloves as further precautions against spreading the coronavirus.

Photos of Reverend Timothy Pelc shooting holy water into car window at Easter have gone viral and are sparking online memes.

The photos of the priest at the church in Grosse Pointe Park were taken at Easter but have recently gone viral and have inspired memes online. One shows the 70-year-old priest amid the fires of hell directing the squirt gun at devil-like figures.

The priest said he was concerned about what the Vatican would think of his holy trigger finger, but so far, the Pope has been mum.

Pelc says he needed to find a way to continue a tradition of blessing Easter baskets despite the pandemic. One photo shows Pelc standing behind a car with its hatchback door up, shooting water at a basket of flowers. He said he has a “pretty wacky mind and pretty accepting congregation”.

Despite the humor, the church does take the pandemic seriously, Pelc said. Parishioners have tied blue ribbons on trees at the church for each person who has died of Covid-19 in Michigan. That number is now approaching 5,000.