A Catholic priest died after a heavy crucifix detached from a church wall and struck him during a livestreamed mass in Ecuador, according to local church officials.
Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, the parish priest at the Church of Perpetual Relief in Guayaquil, died on Saturday. Guayaquil is a coastal city located approximately 265 kilometers southwest of the nation’s capital, Quito.
Graphic footage of the service, which was broadcast live before being removed from social media platforms, captured the incident. The video shows a large, heavy crucifix hanging on the wall behind the altar suddenly breaking away and falling directly onto the back of the priest’s head. Father Sánchez was facing the congregation at the time and did not see the object descending. Footage showed that he did not stand up following the impact.
Parishioners attending the service could be heard shrieking and crying out in horror as the accident occurred. Several attendees rushed forward to tend to the fallen priest while the camera continued to broadcast. Shouts of panic, including calls for an ambulance, were captured on the recording just before the livestream feed cut out.
Emergency services were called to the scene immediately, but first responders were unable to revive him. In an official statement confirming his death, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil expressed mourning, stating that Father Sánchez “has left to the House of the Father to enjoy his presence and glory.”
Church records show that Father Sánchez belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1732 that maintains a presence in 80 countries. Following his death, local church leadership scheduled a memorial Eucharist in his honor for Sunday evening.
Local authorities have not yet released public comments regarding the incident, and the exact cause of the crucifix’s detachment remains unclear.
Structural failures involving religious monuments have previously resulted in fatal accidents. In 2014, a 21-year-old man was killed and another person was injured when a large crucifix erected in honor of Pope John Paul II collapsed in northern Italy. That same year, a mother of two in Chicago was killed when a stone gargoyle fell three stories from an aging church building while she was walking with her fiancé.
