A Catholic priest died after a large crucifix fell on top of him while he was leading a mass in Ecuador that was being livestreamed at the time.
Footage shared widely on social media shows Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari addressing his congregation in Guayaquil on Saturday before the crucifix came tumbling down on top of him and striking him in the head.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil on Sunday confirmed that Father Sánchez Molinari had died in a post on social media which said: “We announce that our beloved Fr. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, CSsR., who served as parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in the Central Vicariate, has departed for the Father’s House to rejoice in His presence and glory.”
The statement continued: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.”
The cause of the crucifix’s collapse remains currently unknown, with no official explanation issued about if structural damage or faulty fittings contributed to the accident.
Newsweek has contacted the Archdiocese of Guayaquil, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Screengrab showing Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari leading a mass before the accident.
Who Is Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari?
Details on who Father Sánchez Molinari was are sparse. He was the parish priest of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and part of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, founded in 1732 by the Italian St. Alphonsus Liguori. The congregation generally focus serving on poor, isolated communities.
Father Sánchez Molinari was assigned to downtown Guayaquil and had worked in Vinces, Los Ríos Province before, according to local outlet Guayaquil News.
The priest livestreamed Masses from his own social media profiles and YouTube channel.
Who Are the Redemptorists?
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer was started by Italian St. Alphonsus Liguori, who preached with his colleagues who left his legal career to preach in rural and isolated communities around Naples.
His congregation spread and by the 19th century, there were Redemptorists in Italy, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Holland, according to the Redemptorists’ Baltimore Province’ official page.
Redemptorists started working in the U.S., as their first mission outside of Europe, first working with Native Americans and then with Irish, German and Slavic immigrants. They often taught immigrants the English language.
Serving immigrant communities has remained a priority for the congregation, which now has around 4,500 members who serve in 82 countries on all five continents.
Their work is inspired by Psalm 130:7 – “In Him there is plentiful redemption.” The congregation is named after a Catholic title for the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Anthony Murray and Ben Kelly.
Related Articles