An Ecuadorian Catholic priest died over the weekend while giving a sermon about the fleeting nature of life during a livestreamed Mass.
Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was a 53-year-old priest from the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in charge of the Perpetuo Socorro church in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, Guayas. According to local outlets, the order, also called the Redemptorist Order, was established in Italy in 1732 and has maintained a presence in Ecuador since 1870.
On Saturday, Father Sánchez Molinari was presiding over a Mass at the Perpetuo Socorro church when the large heavy wooden crucifix behind him suddenly fell and landed on him, hitting the priest on the head. He was declared dead by local healthcare personnel hours later. The Mass was being livestreamed over the internet, showing the moment when the crucifix fell from the main altar and struck the priest as he was celebrating the Eucharist.
According to the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo, in the final moments before the accident, Father Sánchez Molinari reflected, “one day, all of us here will die,” and referred to Jesus Christ’s words to “render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” before calling upon the faithful to reflect that, “In our lives, sometimes we do not give that time, that space to God.”
“God is who comes first, before money, before work, and before the activities of our family and our home,” the priest said, before pointing out that sometimes, people spend hours “entertained” with phones, movies, and other activities and “do [not remember] the Lord.”
“One day, all of us here will die as well, and sometimes the time we’ve spent on other things doesn’t make as much sense as the time we spend on God,” the priest reflected. “The quality time we devote to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our husband or wife, to our children, and to our family, that time is time well spent.”
“That is why the Lord says, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’, that we may give God that time, that space, and that He may always be present in every moment of our lives. May God be with us, help us throughout this week, and bless all our activities,” he continued.
Father Sánchez Molinari then called upon the gathered faithful to recite the Apostles’ Creed, which they were halfway through reciting when the crucifix fell. Desperate screams and calls for an ambulance could be heard in the footage.
At press time, church officials have not publicly detailed what caused the crucifix to fall.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed the death of Father Sánchez Molinari late Saturday night in a brief statement signed by Cardinal Archbishop Monsignor Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera.
“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 statement read in part.
The local outlet Primicias reported that numerous local residents gathered at the Perpetuo Socorro church in Guayaquil on Sunday to pay their respects to the late priest. Monsignor Gerardo Miguel Neves presided over the Sunday night Mass. Similarly, EWTV News reported that other Catholic orders and parishes where Father Sánchez Molinari had served paid their respects and honored the priest’s legacy.
“We thank God for all the blessings we have received through Fr. Patricio Sánchez, who accompanied the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the young women with warmth, love, and pastoral dedication, especially at our communities in Guayaquil,” the local branch of the Salesians Order reportedly said in a statement.
“As the Redemptorist family, we join together in prayer for the eternal rest of his soul and ask the Lord to grant comfort to his family, his fellow priests, and all the faithful who gratefully cherish his legacy and memory. May he rest in the peace of the Lord,” Ecuador’s San Lorenzo de Vinces Parish said in a statement published on Facebook.
On Friday, just a day before his death, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil had congratulated Father Sánchez Molinari on the anniversary of his ordination.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
