A Roman Catholic priest in Ecuador died Saturday after a large wooden crucifix detached from the wall behind the altar and struck him during a livestreamed Mass in Guayaquil.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, was celebrating the service at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro church when the cross fell and hit him on the head. He was facing the congregation at the time.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death in a statement signed by Cardinal Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera. The note said Sánchez Molinari, who served as parish priest in the Central Vicariate, “has departed to the House of the Father to enjoy His presence and glory.” It offered prayers for the eternal rest of his soul and expressed solidarity with the Redemptorist community, his family and friends.
Video from the Facebook livestream shows the crucifix coming loose around the 27-minute mark of the broadcast. Worshippers can be heard shouting for help and calling for an ambulance as people rushed toward the altar. The original stream was later taken down, though clips circulated widely on social media.
Sánchez Molinari was 52. He was born Nov. 6, 1973, made his religious profession on Aug. 15, 2000, and was ordained a priest on Oct. 15, 2005. The accident occurred during the week of the 21st anniversary of his ordination.
Those who knew him described him as a simple, calm and fraternal priest who stayed close to young people, worked with educational institutions and paid attention to the sick. He previously served at the parish of San Lorenzo in Vinces, in Los Ríos province, and spent nearly nine years in pastoral work in Manta, in Manabí province.
The church is located at the intersection of José Mascote and Calicuchima streets in the south-central part of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city on the Pacific coast. The Archdiocese did not detail the exact cause of death or the condition of the mounting that held the crucifix in place.
Shortly before the crucifix fell, Sánchez Molinari had spoken to the congregation about mortality. “Dear brothers and sisters, one day we will all die, and the time we spent on trivial things will prove far less meaningful than the time we invested in God,” he said, according to accounts of the livestream. He also urged people not to waste time scrolling on their phones and to give quality time to God, family and others.
A memorial Mass was scheduled for Sunday evening, Oct. 18, at the same church where the accident occurred. The Redemptorist community and local faithful continued to gather in the days that followed to remember the priest who died at the altar while celebrating the Eucharist.
