Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari, 53, was killed on Saturday when a large wooden crucifix came off the wall behind the altar and struck him during a livestreamed Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
He was about 27 minutes into the service when the crucifix fell. Moments earlier, he had been preaching about the fleeting nature of life, telling the congregation not to waste their lives scrolling on their phones and to give their time to God and the people they love.
“One day, all of us here will also die, and sometimes the time we have spent on things does not have as much meaning as the time we spend with God.”
As he began another prayer, the crucifix came down on him. People in the church screamed and rushed to the altar, and a woman can be heard on the livestream calling for an ambulance. The broadcast cut short, and he died the same day.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death on Sunday and published its statement on Monday. Cardinal Luis Cabrera, the archbishop of Guayaquil, led a memorial Mass at the church on Sunday, and the archdiocese thanked people around the world for their condolences and asked for prayers for his eternal rest.
Sanchez Molinari belonged to the Redemptorists and had previously served for years in Vinces, in Los Rios Province. The archdiocese had congratulated him just one day earlier, on the anniversary of his ordination. According to Ecuavisa, he was preparing to lead a wedding ceremony when the accident happened. What made the crucifix come loose has not been determined, and police have not commented.
A church full of people came back the next night to pray for the man who had just told them to spend their time on what matters.
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