A Catholic priest in the western Mexican state of Michoacán has gone viral after a video showed him using a pressure washer to spray holy water over a crowd during a patron saint festival.

The footage, widely shared across TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, shows Father Rubén Pérez Rubio standing in the bed of a white pickup truck during celebrations honoring Saint James the Apostle in Contepec, a Michoacán municipality of about 35,000 near the Querétaro border.

Holding a pressure washer (hidrolavadora in Spanish) he directs a stream of holy water (agua bendita) toward dozens of parishioners gathered outside the church on Wednesday.

The unusual method allowed the priest to reach a large crowd at once, with attendees — including women, children and elderly worshippers — reacting with laughter, raised hands and applause as they received the blessing.

“May my magnanimous mercy pour out its grace upon you all,” the priest says in Spanish in the video.

Local accounts cited by El Universal and other media outlets say the approach was intended to ensure no one was left without holy water during one of the municipality’s most important annual religious celebrations, which draws large numbers of residents and visitors.

The video quickly went viral, generating thousands of comments and sparking debate about the balance between tradition and innovation in religious practice.

Some social media users praised the priest’s creativity and practicality, saying the method helped engage the community and adapt to large crowds.

Others questioned whether using a pressure washer diminished the solemnity of a ritual typically performed with a traditional aspergillum.

Additional criticism focused on what some described as a waste of holy water and a lack of reverence.

Still, many commenters framed the act as a lighthearted moment that reflected a more accessible and modern approach to religion.

As of Friday, Pérez Rubio had not publicly commented on the viral video.

Saint James the Apostle, or Santiago Apóstol in Spanish, is honored across Latin America and Spain as a patron of pilgrims and towns whose July 25 feast day blends Catholic ritual with local tradition.

In Michoacán, patron saint festivals for him typically feature special Masses, processions through the streets, music and cultural activities.

With reports from El Universal, El Heraldo de México, Luz Noticias and N+