Priest dies in Ecuador when wooden crucifix falls on him during livestreamed prayer
Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari died after a heavy crucifix fell from the wall of a Guayaquil church during evening prayers.
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A Roman Catholic priest, Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari, died in an accident during evening prayers at the Perpetuo Socorro church in Guayaquil, a coastal city in Ecuador, South America. A heavy wooden crucifix hung on the wall behind the altar slipped and struck him on the head while the prayers were being livestreamed.
A video of the accident is spreading fast on social media, and devotees around the world are expressing deep grief over it.
According to the information available, the prayer meeting was held on Saturday night as per local religious tradition. Father Sanchez was standing near the altar, speaking to those present and offering special prayers for them. At that moment the crucifix fixed to the main wall suddenly came loose and fell on his head and back. Devotees in the church were stunned, there were screams, and fear spread through the congregation.
Devotees and church staff rushed to Father Sanchez and tried to help him. The livestream camera clearly picked up the cries of the devotees and calls for an ambulance. First responders reached the spot within minutes, and the critically injured priest was taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors declared him dead during treatment because of serious internal injuries to the head and body.
The most shocking coincidence was that a few minutes before the accident, Father Sanchez had been speaking in his sermon on "death and the fundamental importance of human life". He had urged those present: "Instead of wasting time on mobile phones and unnecessary material things, all of us should devote our precious time to God and our loved ones. One day all of us have to leave this world, so we must give priority to the real things in life." He had just begun the next prayer after delivering this message when the accident happened.
Father Patricio Sanchez was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic religious order. It was founded in 1732 and works in more than 80 countries around the world. The Archdiocese of Guayaquil and the church administration have issued an official message of condolence on his death.
The church administration and the local administration have not yet given detailed information on how the heavy wooden crucifix, which was firmly fixed to the wall, came loose. A technical investigation is under way.
