A Catholic priest died Saturday when a wooden crucifix fell from a wall and crushed him against the pulpit during a live-streamed mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.
The Rev. Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari died Saturday, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil announced.
“Father, Father! Call an ambulance!” People at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church could be heard shouting just before a live broadcast ended.
The mass was broadcast live on the priest’s Facebook page, where he has more than 4,600 followers. The video shows Sanchez facing the congregation as a large crucifix hanging on the wall behind him falls on the back of his head. He falls to the ground and doesn’t get up.
Facebook / Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari 
Graphic images of the accident went viral on social media on Sunday and were widely reported by the media.
In a social media post, the Archdiocese of Guayaquil said Sanchez “left for the House of the Father to enjoy his presence and glory.”
The archdiocese lamented the priest’s death in a statement and expressed its “solidarity, affection and love” for his family and friends.
Local authorities have not commented on the incident.
Sánchez belonged to the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, a Catholic religious order founded in 1732 and present in 80 countries.
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