Fr. Patricio Sánchez Molinari, C.Ss.R.: A Life dedicated to the Redeemer...
The Redemptorist family is deeply saddened by the sudden death of Fr. Patricio Sánchez Molinari, C.Ss.R., a missionary of the Andean-Caribbean Province, which occurred on October 17, 2026, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, while he was celebrating Mass. He was 52 years old. The news, which spread rapidly through media and social networks, has profoundly affected fellow Redemptorists, parishioners, and friends, who have expressed their condolences and support to his family, the Province, and the parish community.
Some news spreads quickly, but its meaning takes time to understand. The death of Father Patricio is one of them: it leaves us speechless and deeply moves us, especially those of us who shared with him the Redemptorist vocation and mission.
Behind the news is a brother, a priest, and a missionary: a life consecrated to the Most Holy Redeemer and to the service of communities. His passing places us before the mystery and invites us to renew our hope in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. A life dedicated to the Gospel is not confined to its final moment: it remains in the fruits of the mission, in the people accompanied, and in the love sown along the way.
Biographical sketch
- Birthdate: November 6, 1973
- Religious profession: August 15, 2000
- Priestly ordination: October 15, 2005
- Last service: Parish Priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Central Vicariate, Archdiocese of Guayaquil
- Death: October 17, 2026, Guayaquil (Ecuador), at age 52
A simple and approachable missionary
Drawn to the charism of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Father Patricio worked as a Redemptorist missionary in Ecuador. His ministry unfolded in Loja, Durán, Vinces, Manta, and finally, Guayaquil. In Vinces, he was a pioneer of the Redemptorist mission and served for several years as parish priest of San Lorenzo, bringing the Gospel to the most remote rural areas. In Manta and Guayaquil, as parish priest, he especially promoted Eucharistic adoration, as a true son of St. Alphonsus, author of the Visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
Those who knew him remember him as a simple, calm and fraternal priest, close to young people, a collaborator with educational institutions and attentive to the well-being of the sick.
His last day
Father Patricio passed away on the night of Saturday, October 17, 2026, while celebrating Holy Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Guayaquil, during the week of the twenty-first anniversary of his priestly ordination. During the celebration, a crucifix in the sanctuary came loose and fell on him. The Archdiocese of Guayaquil, in a statement, confirmed his death and expressed its condolences to the Redemptorist family, his relatives, and friends.
Even in the midst of pain, we give thanks to God for the life and ministry of Father Patricio, who manifested throughout his life, and until the very moment of his death —at the altar, celebrating the Eucharist—, his intimate union with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Message from the Father General
In response to the news and the numerous questions received from fellow brothers, Father General, Fr. Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R., shared the following message:
“Dear Confreres, following reports published in newspapers and on social media, several confreres have written to me asking whether the news concerning the death of our dear confrere, Fr. Patricio Sánchez Molinari, C.Ss.R, at our parish in Guayaquil, Ecuador, is true. Unfortunately, the news is true. According to the information received, while he was celebrating the Eucharist, the image of Christ located at the altar became detached, struck Fr. Patricio, and caused his death. This tragic accident fills us with profound sadness and sorrow. At this painful moment, let us unite in prayer for his eternal rest, for his family, for the confreres of the Andean-Caribbean Province, and for the entire parish community. May the Most Holy Redeemer, to whom he consecrated his life as a Redemptorist missionary, welcome him into His merciful arms and grant him the fullness of eternal life. May the hope of the Resurrection comfort us in this time of sorrow.”
In this moment of sorrow, let us unite in prayer for his eternal rest, for his family, for his fellow Redemptorists of the Andean-Caribbean Province, and for the entire parish community. May the Most Holy Redeemer, to whom he consecrated his life as a Redemptorist missionary, receive him into His merciful arms and grant him the fullness of eternal life. May the hope of the Resurrection comfort us in this time of suffering.
Rest in peace.
United in the hope of the Resurrection
We thank the Lord for Father Patricio’s vocation, for his dedication to the Redemptorist mission, and for the good he accomplished in the communities where he served. His love for the Eucharist, his fraternal simplicity, and his pastoral dedications are part of the legacy he leaves to the Congregation and to the people of God. May Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help, accompany him in his final encounter with the Redeemer and console his family, his fellow confreres in the Andean-Caribbean Province, and the entire parish community of Guayaquil.
“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (Jn 6:54).
Rest in peace.
Fr. Edward Julián Chacón Díaz, C.Ss.R.
General Secretary
