The horrifying incident took place during a Mass livestreamed on Father Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari’s Facebook page in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on October 17, 2026.

The original broadcast captured the moment a massive wooden crucifix fell from the wall behind the altar and struck the priest. As shocked worshippers rushed to help him, desperate cries for an ambulance could be heard before the livestream abruptly ended.

After the tragedy, clips from the broadcast began circulating widely across social media, attracting attention from viewers around the world. International news outlets, including CBS News, Fox News and NBC News, subsequently reported on the incident. The original livestream was later taken down, although copies and excerpts continued to circulate online.

The footage left many viewers deeply shaken, particularly because the accident happened during a religious service that people were watching live from their homes.

The cause of the crucifix falling has not been publicly established.