Cross falls from church wall onto priest during livestreamed Mass in Ecuador

The accident

A Catholic priest died in Guayaquil, Ecuador, after a large cross came loose from the wall behind the altar and fell onto him during his daily Mass. Most reports place the service on Saturday, 17 October, while Digi24 describes it as a Sunday Mass. The priest, Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, was the pastor of the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro parish in the Central Vicariate of the archdiocese. The celebration was being broadcast live on his Facebook profile, and the recording captures the moment about 27 minutes into the service. Images circulating on social media show the structure fixed behind the altar before it gave way, and worshippers can be heard shouting as several people rushed to help him.

Church confirmation and medical details

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed the death in an official statement, sending condolences to the priest's family, friends and the wider religious community. The statement did not describe how the tragedy happened or why the cross detached. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that the priest was struck in the head, taken urgently to hospital and declared dead about four hours after the accident. No other outlet in the reporting gives that timing, and church authorities have not said whether he died at the scene or after treatment. Digi24 likewise says the cross hit him in the head and that he never got up again.

Open questions

No official explanation has been given for the fall, and Notícias ao Minuto reports that the causes are still under investigation. Digi24 says an investigation has been opened, while the archdiocese has so far released only its condolence message. Outlets also differ on the day and the nature of the service, with Notícias ao Minuto and wpolityce.pl placing the accident on Saturday and Digi24 referring to a Sunday Mass. The reporting so far relies on local press accounts and footage shared on social media, and no source describes how the cross was attached to the wall.

The parish and the order

Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists. According to one report, the order was founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori. The parish he led is dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a devotion closely tied to the Redemptorists. Il Fatto Quotidiano describes him as a Redemptorist priest and names the same parish, Nostra Signora del Perpetuo Soccorso, in its account of the tragedy.