Hero Priests!

An elderly man is fighting for his life after accidentally lighting himself on fire inside a Long Island church Thursday morning.

The 89-year-old man, who goes to mass on a regular basis, was inside the Holy Family Church in Hicksville around 6:30 a.m. when Nassau County Police Sgt. James Skopak said his clothes caught fire while lighting candles in the back of the church.

"The fire alarm was activated from within the church," Skopak said. Pastor Gerard Gentleman called 911 while Father Henry Reid used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames.

Skopak said the man suffered burns on over 60 percent of his body. The man is in critical condition at Nassau University Medical Center.

"The priest's quick action is obviously going to help and hopefully save this individual," Skopak said. No criminality is currently suspected.