A livestreamed Communion service in Ecuador ended in tragedy when a large crucifix fell from behind the altar and fatally struck the priest celebrating Mass.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil on Saturday when the wooden cross suddenly toppled forward, hitting him at the altar.
Footage from the broadcast shows the congregation breaking into screams as parishioners rushed toward the injured priest and called emergency services.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was killed after a crucifix fell on him during Mass at a church in Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Patricio Sanchez Facebook)
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil later announced Sánchez Molinari’s death on Facebook, describing him as the parish priest of Perpetuo Socorro Church in the archdiocese’s Central Vicariate.
“Our dear Fr. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari … has departed to the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory,” the archdiocese said in Spanish.
The message ended with a traditional prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.”
The fatal accident came only a day after the archdiocese had marked Sánchez Molinari’s ordination anniversary, according to Ecuadorian news outlet Primicias reported.
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Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari leads Mass at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Patricio Sanchez Facebook)
Because the service was being broadcast on social media, the video captured the moment the crucifix collapsed as well as the congregation’s immediate attempts to help.
“Father, Father … call an ambulance,” one woman is heard urgently saying in the recording.
Sánchez Molinari was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, better known as the Redemptorists. Before his appointment in Guayaquil, he served for several years as pastor of San Lorenzo in Vinces, located in Ecuador’s Los Ríos province, Primicias reported.
The Catholic priest died after a wooden crucifix fell on him during Communion at a church in Ecuador. (Patricio Sanchez Facebook)
His former parish shared a tribute on social media, honoring the commitment, kindness and pastoral care he had shown to the community, El Universo reported.
As of Sunday, the circumstances that caused the crucifix to come down had not been established. Church authorities had not released a public explanation for the collapse.
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