Church breaks silence following the death of priest after crucifix fell from church wall in Ecuador

The church where a priest died after a heavy crucifix fell from the wall during his sermon, has spoken out for the first time since his death.

The tragedy unfolded at the Perpetuo Socorro Church in the Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador, as Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari livestreamed the mass on Saturday (October 17).

Molinari was preaching during an evening mass when the wooden crucifix detached from the altar wall and fell directly onto his head, knocking him to the floor in front of his congregation.

The South American priest was pronounced dead at the scene despite efforts of emergency respondents.

Now, church officials have released an update as the Catholic community mourns his sudden loss.

Taking to Instagram, the church shared images from a Eucharist service held in memory of the late priest - notably absent from the pictures was the crucifix that caused the accident.

Addressing their decision to share photos from the scene, the church penned: “We share the images of the Eucharist in memory of our beloved P. Patrick Alfredo Sanchez Molinari, CSsR., whom the Lord called to his bosom last night, October 17, while celebrating the Holy Mass.

Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari tragically passed away on Saturday after a crucifix, that hung above the alter, fell on him during his sermon (Facebook)

“Cardinal Luis Cabrera, OFM. Archbishop of Guayaquil, celebrated the Eucharist, accompanied by the auxiliary bishops, priests, members of the Community of the Holy Redeemer and parishioners.

“We appreciate all the messages of condolence from different parts of the world and especially, your prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of P. Patrick Sanchez.”

The original Facebook livestream capturing the tragedy unfold has since been removed from the church's page.

However, translated footage of Molinari's final moments revealed the last message he shared with the congregation just before the crucifix fell.

"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 was a respected member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, an order established in 1732 that focuses on missionary work in marginalized communities.

A Eucharist service has since been held in memory of the late priest, with the crucifix notably missing from above the alter (Facebook)

Before serving in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil, he spent time as a parish priest in San Lorenzo - a town in the north east of the country, close to the Colombian border.

The exact cause of the crucifix's collapse remains unclear at this time.

Since the news broke, many have flooded to social media to pay their respects.

One user praised the priest's final message: "What an amazing message and warning! God bless this holy priest!"

While another added: "As a practicing Catholic with years of religious education, it saddens me to see how some people interpret the death of Father Patricio as a punishment from God, even going so far as to speak of idolatry due to religious images.

"Death is not a punishment, but the step toward eternal life, resurrection, and the definitive encounter with God. Jesus himself crossed over death to open the doors to true life. Therefore, we must not turn a tragedy into a divine judgment or pretend to know God's plans."