GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — A Catholic priest has died after a large wooden crucifix fell from a church wall and struck him during a livestreamed Mass in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was celebrating Mass at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church, also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, on Saturday, October 17, when the crucifix detached from above the altar and fell on him.
The incident was captured in footage of the live broadcast, showing worshippers rushing to help the priest after the cross fell. Parishioners called for an ambulance before the livestream ended, according to Ecuadorian media reports.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed Sánchez Molinari’s death in a statement signed by Cardinal Luis Cabrera Herrera, expressing condolences to his family, friends and religious community.
The archdiocese did not disclose the precise circumstances of his death or explain why the crucifix came loose. No official findings on the mounting or the cause of the incident had been released in the reports available.
Who was Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari?
Sánchez Molinari served as parish priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in the archdiocese’s Central Vicariate. He was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Catholic religious order whose members are commonly known as Redemptorists.
Originally from Cuenca in southern Ecuador, he had previously served for several years at San Lorenzo parish in Vinces, in Los Ríos province. His former parish and other Catholic communities joined in mourning his death.
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The tragedy came a day after the Archdiocese of Guayaquil had marked the anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Priest urged worshippers to prioritise faith and family
During the Mass, Sánchez Molinari had encouraged worshippers to make time for God and their loved ones rather than allow work, money and daily worries to dominate their lives, Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo reported.
His message formed part of the service that was being streamed online when the crucifix fell.
The incident has drawn attention to the sudden circumstances surrounding his death, which occurred while he was carrying out his duties as a parish priest.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil and the Redemptorist congregation announced a memorial Mass for Sunday, October 18, at the church where he had served.
The cause of the crucifix’s collapse remains unclear, and no official findings establishing whether a structural or mounting problem contributed to the incident had been reported.
