A Catholic priest's livestream captured the horrific moment he was fatally crushed by an enormous crucifix while leading a Mass.
The freak accident occurred on Saturday at the Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro Church in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.
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accident → capture → Guayaquil
Father Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari was livestreaming Mass from his personal social media accounts.
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Molinari → livestreame → accounts
The cross fell about 27 minutes into the stream, which was abruptly cut short soon after.
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which → fall → stream
In the video, Sanchez Molinari can be seen standing at an altar with a cross bearing the figure of Jesus Christ high up on the wall behind him.
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Molinari → see → him
The crucifix then suddenly came loose, tilted forward and fell straight down, directly onto the priest's head.
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crucifix → come → head
Sanchez Molinari was knocked below the altar and out of frame.
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Molinari → knock → frame
The livestream captured the sound of shocked parishioners shouting in agony and screaming for help.
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parishioners → capture → help
'Padre!' a woman could be heard repeatedly screaming.
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woman → hear → ?
'Call an ambulance!' she also said in Spanish.
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she → call → Spanish
A few people could then be seen running towards the altar as they appeared to try to help the priest.
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they → see → priest
Sanchez Molinari was identified and confirmed dead by the Archdiocese of Guayaquil on Sunday.
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Molinari → identify → Sunday
Catholic Priest Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari was livestreaming a Mass from his church in Ecuador on Saturday when the large crucifix behind him came loose
The crucifix tilted forward and straight down toward Sanchez Molinari as he stood at the altar
The crucifix is pictured right over Sanchez Molinari's head moments before it struck him.
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it → livestreame → him
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed on Sunday that the priest died
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priest → confirm → Sunday
'We announce that our dear Fr. Patricio Alfredo Sanchez Molinari, CSsR.—who served as parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Perpetuo Socorro) in the Central Vicariate—has departed for the Father’s House to enjoy His presence and His glory,' the Archdiocese wrote in a statement on social media.
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Archdiocese → announce → media
The statement ended with the traditional Catholic Latin Prayer for the Dead: 'Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine. Et lux perpétua lúceat ei.
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statement → end → Dead
It translates to: 'Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
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light → translate → him
May he rest in peace.
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he → rest → peace
The archdiocese did not say what caused the crucifix to fall or whether there will be an investigation into how the accident happened.
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accident → say → ?
The statement likewise did not clarify whether Sanchez Molinari was killed instantly or died from his injuries later at the hospital.
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Molinari → clarify → hospital
Sanchez Molinari was a priest in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists.
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Molinari → know → Redemptorists
The Catholic congregation was founded by Italian Saint Alphonsus Liguori in 1732 and it generally serves poor and isolated communities.
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it → found → communities
It has around 4,500 members, most of whom are priests, according to statistics published by the Vatican.
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most → have → Vatican
His death was mourned on social media by his paritioners and the archdiocese
The official motto of the Redemptorists is taken from Psalm 130:7: 'With Him there is plentiful redemption.'
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motto → mourn → Him
Users on social media shared their heartbreak in the comments of the stream saved on Sanchez Molinari's page.
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Users → share → page
The comments were all written in Spanish and have been translated.
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comments → write → Spanish
A true missionary of Christ,' one person said.
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person → say → Christ
'I cannot believe it, Father—you have left us.
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you → believe → us
Rest now, Father; may God hold you in His holy glory,' a second wrote.
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second → rest → glory
Those of us who knew him understand what an exceptional person has departed to be with God; he offered us so much guidance and many valuable lessons.
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he → know → guidance
Rest in peace,' said a third.
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third → rest → peace
The Aporia
