Priest dies during Mass after cross falls in Ecuador

In Guayaquil, Ecuador, Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari was struck on the head by a large wooden cross that came loose from a wall while he was celebrating Mass on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church collapsed and died from his injuries. The service was livestreamed, and footage circulated on social media. The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed his death on October 18; the circumstances behind the cross’s fall remain unknown.