Ecuadorian priest dies after being struck by a crucifix that fell during Mass in Guayaquil
During a live-broadcast church service, a heavy crucifix fell and fatally struck the priest
A Catholic priest, Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, who was celebrating an evening Mass in south-western Ecuador, died after a crucifix fell on him during the service, which was broadcast via live stream.
This is according to local media reports. The tragic accident took place yesterday evening in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil, a coastal city 265 kilometres south-west of the capital, Quito.
Footage of the church service shows a heavy wooden crucifix falling from the wall above the altar and striking Sánchez on the head whilst he was celebrating Mass. The congregation tried to come to his aid, whilst the live stream on social media continued.
Sánchez belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1732 and present in 80 countries.
The Archdiocese “joins in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul” and expresses “solidarity, affection and sympathy to the Redemptorist family, his relatives and friends”.
