Catholic Priest Dies During Sermon After Cross Falls From Wall And Strikes Him

The Catholic priest who was killed by a falling crucifix over the weekend in Ecuador had been giving a sermon about the fleeting nature of life just before the freak accident was caught live on camera.

Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in southern Guayaquil, was reflecting on the words of Jesus when he told his congregation they should not waste their lives scrolling on their phones and instead dedicate them to God and their loved ones.

“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,” he said.

“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,” Molinari added.

The priest went on to ask God to bless his congregation as he began another prayer — when the giant crucifix behind him suddenly fell off the wall and landed on him.

The shocking incident was caught on a livestream of the sermon, in which panicked members of the congregation could be heard screaming as they rushed to help the priest and call an ambulance.

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la cruz de cristo mató a un cura en plena misa

https://t.co/ToLe7KcILk

— aaron  (@aarontsuarez) October 19, 2026

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The Archdiocese of Guayaquil identified the man as Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari in an Instagram post shared the same day.

“The Archdiocese of Guayaquil joins in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul and expresses its solidarity, affection and love to the Redemptorist community, his family and friends,” the Archdiocese said in its statement.

“Rest in peace,” it added.

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