Ecuadorian priest dies after giant cross falls on him during livestreamed Mass

• Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died on Saturday, October 17, after a large wooden crucifix fell on him during Mass in Guayaquil.
• The incident was captured during a live broadcast, while the Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death and expressed condolences.

An Ecuadorian Catholic priest died after a large wooden cross detached from a church wall and struck him while he was celebrating Mass in the city of Guayaquil, according to local media reports.

The priest, identified as Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, was leading the service at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church when the crucifix fell from the wall behind him on Saturday, October 17.

The Mass was being broadcast live on social media when the incident occurred, with footage showing the large crucifix falling onto the priest near the 27th minute of the service.

Worshippers rushed to help following the impact, while cries of alarm could be heard in the recording. The footage subsequently circulated online, drawing widespread attention to the fatal accident.

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed Sánchez Molinari's death in an official statement, identifying him as the parish priest of the church in the archdiocese's Central Vicariate.

The archdiocese expressed its condolences to the Redemptorist religious community, the priest's relatives and his friends, and called for prayers for the repose of his soul.

Sánchez Molinari was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Catholic religious order also known as the Redemptorists.

As of October 18, the cause of the cross's detachment had not been officially established. The archdiocese's statement confirmed the priest's death but did not provide further details about the circumstances of the accident.