Ecuadorian priest dies after large wooden cross falls on him during Mass

Ecuadorian priest Patricio Sánchez Molinari died after a large wooden cross fell on his head while he was celebrating Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in southern Guayaquil. The incident occurred during a religious ceremony, shocking the congregation gathered inside the church.

Sánchez Molinari was at the altar during a prayer when the suspended cross detached and struck him. Video recorded during the ceremony, which was being livestreamed on social media, captured worshippers calling for help and asking for an ambulance. The incident interrupted the service, but the available information does not specify what caused the structure to fall.