The Catholic Church Releases Sad News on the Death of a Redemptorist Priest in Ecuador

The Catholic community is mourning the death of Rev. Fr. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, C.Ss.R., a member of the Redemptorist Congregation and parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro) in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The news was shared on the official Facebook page of The Catholic Voice. According to reports published on Sunday, 18 October 2026, the tragic incident took place while Fr. Sánchez was celebrating Mass, which was being livestreamed to the faithful.

Reports state that a large wooden crucifix mounted on the wall behind him suddenly fell and struck him on the head. Sadly, the priest died following the incident. Further details about the circumstances have not been confirmed in the original report, and the faithful are encouraged to await official communication from the Redemptorist Congregation and the local Church authorities.

Fr. Sánchez served his parish community as a shepherd and a Redemptorist missionary, a congregation known for preaching the Gospel and for its devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. His sudden passing has left a deep void among parishioners, fellow priests and the wider Redemptorist family, for whom the loss is particularly heartbreaking.

Messages of grief and solidarity have been shared by Catholics who learned of the tragedy. Many have expressed closeness to the parish community, to his confreres and to his family during this difficult time.

The Catholic Voice offered a prayer for the repose of his soul: “May the soul of Fr. Patricio Sánchez Molinari, C.Ss.R., and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

The faithful are invited to remember Fr. Sánchez in their prayers and to keep his community in their thoughts. Funeral arrangements and further announcements are expected to be communicated by the parish and the Redemptorist Congregation.

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