A Catholic priest in Ecuador has died after a large wooden crucifix fell on him while he was celebrating Mass, in a tragedy that was captured on the parish’s livestream and has since moved Catholics around the world.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, 53, was leading Mass on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Church of Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro (Our Lady of Perpetual Help) in the centre-south of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, when the crucifix behind the altar suddenly came loose and fell forward, striking him on the head.
What happened during the Mass
Video of the livestream shows the priest leading the service when the heavy wooden cross falls onto him. Parishioners can be heard screaming “Padre, padre! Llamen a una ambulancia!” (“Father, Father! Call an ambulance!”) as several people rush forward to help him, shortly before the broadcast was cut.
His injuries proved fatal. According to Ecuadorian broadcaster Ecuavisa, he had also been preparing to celebrate a wedding when the accident happened. The cause of the fall has not been officially explained, and local reports describe it as an accident. Police had not commented publicly at the time of reporting.
His last homily was about death
What has touched many people is the message Father Patricio preached just minutes before the crucifix fell. Speaking to his congregation about the end of life, he said, in words widely shared from the livestream:
“One day, all of us here will also die, and sometimes the time we’ve spent on things doesn’t have as much meaning as the time we spend with God. The quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our husbands, wives, children and family — that time is the best spent.”
Clips of the homily have spread rapidly on social media, with many viewers describing his final words as a message meant for everyone.
Who was Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari?
Father Patricio was born in Cuenca, in southern Ecuador, and studied at the Pontifical Catholic University there. He was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, known as the Redemptorists, the religious order founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori in 1732. According to local media, he carried out pastoral and missionary work in several countries.
Before becoming parish priest at Perpetuo Socorro in Guayaquil, he served for several years as pastor of the San Lorenzo parish in Vinces, in Los Ríos province. That community has also publicly mourned his death.
Archdiocese of Guayaquil mourns
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil, led by Cardinal Archbishop Luis Cabrera Herrera, announced that Father Patricio “ha partido a la Casa del Padre” (“has departed to the Father’s House”), expressed its solidarity and affection to his family and friends, and asked the faithful to pray for the eternal rest of his soul.
On Sunday, a Eucharist was celebrated in his memory at the parish, presided over by Cardinal Cabrera. In a statement on Monday, October 19, the archdiocese said it was grateful for the condolences that had poured in from around the world.
A message for all of us
Father Patricio died at the altar, doing the work of God, beneath the very cross he served. His final homily now reads as a farewell to his people — and a reminder to everyone who has since heard it.
We often worry about money, work and possessions that will not follow us. But, as he told his congregation, the time we give to God and to our families is the time that truly counts. None of us knows the day or the hour. Let us love more, forgive more, and make time for God and for one another while we still have breath.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
#ProudlyCatholic
Sources: Teleamazonas, La Nación, ABC7/CNN, Sabes.cl and the Archdiocese of Guayaquil.