Ecuadorian priest dies after crucifix falls during livestreamed Mass
Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, 53, was killed when a crucifix detached from the wall during a Mass in Guayaquil, according to the local archdiocese.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil announced on Facebook that Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, the parish priest of Perpetuo Socorro Church, died after a large crucifix fell from the wall behind him during a livestreamed Mass on Oct. 17. Video of the service shows Molinari delivering a sermon on the value of time spent with God and family when the crucifix detached and struck him, prompting startled cries from the congregation. The cause of the accident has not been determined. Molinari was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic order founded in the 18th century.
"Dear brothers and sisters, one day all of us who are here will also die," Molinari said in Spanish during the sermon. The church posted a statement expressing condolences to his family and parishioners.