‘He died doing what he loved’: Memories of the Ecuadorian priest who died at the altar

“He died doing what he loved, the Eucharist” is how Father Pedro Calle remembered his fellow Redemptorist, Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari, who died Oct. 17 after a large crucifix broke loose from the sanctuary wall and fell on him during Mass.

“It’s not so easy to process or come to terms with this situation, given the way it happened,” Calle shared in an interview with EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. “I could break down at any moment because of the pain I feel inside.”

Calle lives in Quito, Ecuador, and manages the administrative needs of the Redemptorist congregation in the Andean-Caribbean Province, which comprises Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. He is currently in Guayaquil serving also as the legal representative to handle matters related to Sánchez’s death. He is also taking part in the Oct. 19–27 novena for the repose of his soul.

Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari with some of the faithful at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Pedro Calle

“He died embracing the cross. The crucifix was not damaged, save for the part of the leg [of the corpus]. It is striking how he celebrated the Lord’s…