A dramatic accident shook the community of Guayaquil, Ecuador, where the priest Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari lost his life while celebrating mass. The priest was overwhelmed and crushed by the imposing cross behind him, which suddenly detached from the presbytery wall. The tragedy occurred in front of the faithful present in the church and the many who were following the service via live streaming on social networks.
The events occurred on the afternoon of Saturday 17 October within the parish of “Our Lady of Perpetual Help”, located in the center of the coastal city. The sequences of the accident, filmed by the camera broadcasting the celebration, show the rapidity of the event: the heavy wooden cross with the simulacrum of Christ fell from above and violently hit the priest on the head. The impact proved lethal and did not give the religious man time to realize the danger nor the opportunity for those present to intervene.
The episode plunged those present and parish collaborators into despair, who immediately rushed to help while the online broadcast was interrupted. The emergency services, alerted immediately after the accident, proved in vain: the priest died instantly and the health workers were only able to confirm his death. The causes and dynamics that led to the failure of the cross support still remain to be clarified.