Priest Killed When Crucifix Falls on Him During Livestreamed Mass in Guayaquil, Ecuador

A Catholic priest in Ecuador died Saturday night, Oct. 17, after a large wooden crucifix fell from the wall above the altar and hit him during a livestreamed Mass.

Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was the parish priest of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) Church in Guayaquil, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil said. Guayaquil is a coastal city about 165 miles southwest of the capital, Quito.

What the video shows

The footage shows the crucifix mounted on the wall behind the priest. He was standing at the altar facing the congregation, preparing Communion. He did not appear to see it coming.

The cross detaches, falls forward and strikes him on the head. Some accounts of the footage say it crushed him against the lectern.

Roughly half an hour into the service, worshippers began screaming. "Father, Father... call an ambulance," a woman can be heard shouting. People rushed to his side while the social media broadcast kept running. The stream eventually cut out, and the video has since been taken down from the original broadcast. Clips of it have spread widely online.

The archdiocese confirms his death

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil announced his death in a statement on social media. "We announce that our beloved Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, who served as parish priest of the Perpetual Help church in the Central Vicariate, has departed to the Father's House to enjoy His presence and His glory," it said.

The statement closed with the Latin prayer for the dead: "Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him."

The Ecuadorian outlet Primicias reported that the archdiocese had congratulated him on the anniversary of his ordination the day before the accident.

Who he was

Sánchez Molinari belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists. The order was founded in 1732 and has a presence in 80 countries.

Before Guayaquil, he spent several years as parish priest at San Lorenzo in Vinces, in Ecuador's Los Ríos province, according to Primicias. El Universo reported that his former parish posted a tribute remembering the dedication and pastoral love he brought to its community.

Why it fell is still unanswered

Church officials have not publicly explained why the crucifix came off the wall. Local authorities have not commented on the incident.

That leaves basic questions open. The sources describe a heavy wooden cross mounted high above the altar. Nobody on the record has said how it was fixed to the wall, when it was last inspected, or whether the mounting failed, the wall gave way, or something else happened.

Those are answerable questions. The archdiocese oversees the building, and Ecuadorian authorities would be the ones to look into a death like this. As of Sunday, Oct. 18, neither has said what, if anything, is being examined.

The next thing to watch is whether the archdiocese or local officials say what caused the crucifix to come loose, and whether other parishes in the archdiocese check how heavy fixtures above their altars are secured.