A Catholic priest has died after a large wooden crucifix fell on him during a livestreamed Mass at a church in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was celebrating Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church on 17 October 2026 when the crucifix, mounted above the altar, suddenly detached from the wall and struck him.
Footage of the service captured the incident as worshippers rushed to help the priest. Parishioners called an ambulance before the livestream ended, Ecuadorian broadcaster Teleamazonas reported.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil later confirmed his death, mourning the priest who served in its Central Vicariate.
In a statement signed by Cardinal Luis Cabrera Herrera, the archdiocese expressed condolences and offered prayers for Sánchez Molinari’s eternal rest.
