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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.
First responders reported to the scene, but Molinari was declared dead that same day, officials said.
Father Sánchez belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1732 with a presence in 80 countries.
He served under the Archdiocese of Guayaquil, and Cardinal Archbishop Monsignor Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera confirmed his death.
“We announce that our beloved Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, who served as parish priest of the Perpetual Help church in the Central Vicariate, has departed to the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory,” the church said in a statement.
He was also mourned at the San Lorenzo Parish of Vinces, in the Los Rios province, where he had served for several years, according to parish leaders.
It remains unclear what caused the heavy crucifix to detach and fall from the wall, and church officials haven’t publicly provided an explanation for the incident.