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‘He died doing what he loved’: Memories of the Ecuadorian priest who died at the altar #Catholic “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 passover, and the Lord celebrated his passover with him… And Patricio died doing what he loved: the Eucharist,” the priest emphasized.He loved the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin MaryCalle described Sánchez as a man “with a pure heart and a ready smile, a smile that created a sense of closeness. People were drawn to him because of his purity of heart, in which there was no trace of ill intent. He was always so very calm, patient, and tolerant.”“He very much loved the Blessed Sacrament. Wherever he went to any parish he would always emphasize this devotion. And he was always the first one there; he wouldn’t just expose the Blessed Sacrament for a while and then leave, he would stay to pray,” the priest recounted.Sánchez served in Loja, in southern Ecuador, and later in a mission area called Vinces. He also spent nine years at a parish in Manta, and finally about four years in Guayaquil, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He served as the pastor there, and it was in that church that he died. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari with some of the faithful. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Pedro Calle “He also loved the Most Holy Virgin Mary. We can describe Patricio as someone who throughout his ministry everyone felt his closeness to them, absolutely everyone,” the Redemptorist priest highlighted.“He was always a very dedicated man, always spiritual and pastoral. He would say ‘yes’ to everyone. We could say, then, that he was a hardworking man, very self-sacrificing, very devoted,” he remarked.Calle further noted that “Patricio was a very simple person, very approachable and full of human warmth. That’s why his homilies were so simple.”“My enduring memory of Patricio,” he added, “is that he was a very welcoming person, always concerned with making sure one had something to eat or drink. He enjoyed going to the cinema and was an athletic person; he liked going for a walk and swimming.”‘A sign of grace’The priest shared that he never had a conversation with Sánchez about how he would have liked to be remembered, but he highlighted one aspect he has been reflecting on in recent days following the tragic death of his fellow priest.“Patricio’s death will become, or is already becoming, a sign of grace for Catholics and for humanity, given the fact that he was in the midst of broadcasting [the Mass] and that the tragedy unfolded in precisely this way, rather than any other. That was a message for everyone,” Calle remarked. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari with a group of the faithful. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Pedro Calle The priest remarked, in closing, that he does not know where the story of this priest will ultimately lead but that it certainly will not leave anyone indifferent.“I don’t know if his mission is beginning now. I cannot offer any certainty or assurance; it is simply a personal perception, based on the context and the way he died.”‘One day, all of us here will also die’Sánchez was born on Nov. 6, 1973, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He made his profession in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) on Aug. 15, 2000, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was ordained a priest on Oct. 15, 2005.He was pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in south Guayaquil. He served as the superior of his religious community, where he lived alongside a fellow religious brother who had taken his perpetual vows.In his final homily, on the day of his death, he spoke about the importance of making time for God. “He must come first,” he said, adding: “Dear brothers and sisters, one day, all of us here will also die. Sometimes, the time we have spent on material things does not hold as much meaning as the time we dedicate to God, that quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our wife, our husband, to our children, and to our families. That is time spent in the best possible way.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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‘He died doing what he loved’: Memories of the Ecuadorian priest who died at the altar #Catholic “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 passover, and the Lord celebrated his passover with him… And Patricio died doing what he loved: the Eucharist,” the priest emphasized.He loved the Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin MaryCalle described Sánchez as a man “with a pure heart and a ready smile, a smile that created a sense of closeness. People were drawn to him because of his purity of heart, in which there was no trace of ill intent. He was always so very calm, patient, and tolerant.”“He very much loved the Blessed Sacrament. Wherever he went to any parish he would always emphasize this devotion. And he was always the first one there; he wouldn’t just expose the Blessed Sacrament for a while and then leave, he would stay to pray,” the priest recounted.Sánchez served in Loja, in southern Ecuador, and later in a mission area called Vinces. He also spent nine years at a parish in Manta, and finally about four years in Guayaquil, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. He served as the pastor there, and it was in that church that he died. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari with some of the faithful. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Pedro Calle “He also loved the Most Holy Virgin Mary. We can describe Patricio as someone who throughout his ministry everyone felt his closeness to them, absolutely everyone,” the Redemptorist priest highlighted.“He was always a very dedicated man, always spiritual and pastoral. He would say ‘yes’ to everyone. We could say, then, that he was a hardworking man, very self-sacrificing, very devoted,” he remarked.Calle further noted that “Patricio was a very simple person, very approachable and full of human warmth. That’s why his homilies were so simple.”“My enduring memory of Patricio,” he added, “is that he was a very welcoming person, always concerned with making sure one had something to eat or drink. He enjoyed going to the cinema and was an athletic person; he liked going for a walk and swimming.”‘A sign of grace’The priest shared that he never had a conversation with Sánchez about how he would have liked to be remembered, but he highlighted one aspect he has been reflecting on in recent days following the tragic death of his fellow priest.“Patricio’s death will become, or is already becoming, a sign of grace for Catholics and for humanity, given the fact that he was in the midst of broadcasting [the Mass] and that the tragedy unfolded in precisely this way, rather than any other. That was a message for everyone,” Calle remarked. Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari with a group of the faithful. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Pedro Calle The priest remarked, in closing, that he does not know where the story of this priest will ultimately lead but that it certainly will not leave anyone indifferent.“I don’t know if his mission is beginning now. I cannot offer any certainty or assurance; it is simply a personal perception, based on the context and the way he died.”‘One day, all of us here will also die’Sánchez was born on Nov. 6, 1973, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He made his profession in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) on Aug. 15, 2000, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was ordained a priest on Oct. 15, 2005.He was pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in south Guayaquil. He served as the superior of his religious community, where he lived alongside a fellow religious brother who had taken his perpetual vows.In his final homily, on the day of his death, he spoke about the importance of making time for God. “He must come first,” he said, adding: “Dear brothers and sisters, one day, all of us here will also die. Sometimes, the time we have spent on material things does not hold as much meaning as the time we dedicate to God, that quality time we give to God, to our brothers and sisters, to our wife, our husband, to our children, and to our families. That is time spent in the best possible way.”This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The late Father Patricio Sánchez Molinari was described as a man “with a pure heart and a ready smile … he was always so very calm, patient, and tolerant.” asFather Patricio Sánchez

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The enduring appeal of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of France’s most beloved saints #Catholic During the First World War, before being proclaimed a saint, devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux became particularly widespread in France. Soldiers carried medals and images of her, and many French Catholics saw her as a spiritual companion and intercessor.The Carmelite nun, patron saint of missions, and the youngest doctor of the Church died at the age of 24 and was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She was declared the second patron saint of France in 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, by Pope Pius XII.The town of Lisieux, a 90-minute train ride from Paris, is where Thérèse spent her entire religious life. It is the second most visited pilgrimage destination in France, after Lourdes, with over 2 million pilgrims every year.Last year, in Pope Leo XIV’s message on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thérèse’s parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, he called the faithful to “put Jesus at the centre of your families, your activities, and your choices. Help your children discover His boundless love and tenderness, and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves: this is the great lesson that Louis and Zélie teach us today, and which the Church and the world so urgently need. How could Thérèse have loved Jesus and Mary so much — and then passed on such a beautiful doctrine to us — if she had not learned it from her saintly parents from an early age?”Thérèse lost her mother when she was just 4 years old and endured periods of illness and intense emotional sensitivity as a child. At 14, however, she experienced a moment of spiritual transformation where she received a special grace from God. In France, young children left their shoes by the hearth at Christmas, and parents would fill them with gifts. But her sister Celine didnʼt want Thérèse to grow up, so they continued to place gifts in “baby” Thérèseʼs shoes. As she and Celine climbed the stairs to take off their hats their fatherʼs voice rose from the parlor below. Standing over the shoes, he said: “Thank goodness thatʼs the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Thérèse froze, and her sister looked at her helplessly, knowing that in a few minutes she would be in tears over what their father had said. But the tantrum never came. A special grace came over Thérèse as Jesus had done what she could not do herself. She swallowed her tears, walked slowly down the stairs, and went over the gifts in the shoes, as if she had never heard a word her father said. In her autobiography, “Story of Soul,” she referred to that Christmas as her “conversion.”From childish to childlikeIn his book “The Way of Trust and Love,” French priest Jacques Philippe explores St. Thérèse of Lisieuxʼs “Little Way” to holiness. He recalls that “through seemingly insignificant events, God can heal us deeply. Sometimes we feel a call from the Lord to step outside ourselves, to take a step forward, to become more mature, more free. There are times in life when we dwell on our immaturity, our complaints, our laments, our dependencies, and then suddenly one day we are given grace, a gift from God, but one that also calls upon our freedom. There is a choice to be made; it is both healing and conversion: freedom must choose to perform an act of courage.”He then later proposes: “Let us then ask God this question: What is the ‘yes’ you are asking of me today? What is the small act of courage and trust you are asking me to do today?”For St. Thérèse, it was about overcoming her emotional sensitivity. For others, it might be learning to control their tongue, be more optimistic, or manage their temper.A ‘Little Way’ for everyoneFrom the very beginning of her life, Thérèse desired to be a saint; still, when she entered the convent, she also thought how inaccessible and unrealizable it was when she compared herself to others.And here, perhaps, is where we can learn one of her most powerful teachings: never lose courage.She goes on: “Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new … It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, and so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less.”But by “little,” Thérèse does not suggest we think of ourselves as of small value; instead, she reminds us of an unchanging truth: We are children of God.As St. John Paul II on his apostolic trip to France in June 1980 recalled: “There is something unique about it, a characteristic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In it, one finds both the confirmation and the renewal of the most fundamental and universal truth. What truth in the Gospel message is more fundamental and universal than this: God is our Father, and we are his children?”And like children who trust, even if thrown into the air, in the safety of returning to their parents' arms, we must trust in the providence of our Father, with a deep knowledge of his unlimited and unconditional love for us: “In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).A missionary without ever leaving homeProclaimed the patron saint of missionaries for her support of the missions through constant prayer and sacrifice despite being a cloistered nun who never left her convent, she said: “My strength lies in prayer and sacrifice; they are invincible weapons, and touch hearts more surely than words can do, as I have learned by experience.”To many, even in the convent, she seemed like an average, ordinary person. Her greatness showed in the constancy of her love for others in the simplest ways. Perhaps some of the missionary work we are called to do today doesn’t necessarily begin externally but within our hearts. As the saint herself wrote: “A word, a kindly smile, will often suffice to gladden a wounded and sorrowful heart.”Thérèse also found strength in Scripture: “But above all it is the Gospels that occupy me during my prayers; in them I find everything that is necessary for my poor little soul. I constantly discover in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings.”Her life was characterized by austerity, far from recognition and noise from the world. She died anonymously in 1897 at the young age of 24, and no more than 30 people attended her funeral.This saint’s life and journal is a legacy for all who want to learn a simple and practical approach toward their relationship with God. Her advice is for everyone: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”
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The enduring appeal of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, one of France’s most beloved saints #Catholic During the First World War, before being proclaimed a saint, devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux became particularly widespread in France. Soldiers carried medals and images of her, and many French Catholics saw her as a spiritual companion and intercessor.The Carmelite nun, patron saint of missions, and the youngest doctor of the Church died at the age of 24 and was canonized in 1925 by Pope Pius XI. She was declared the second patron saint of France in 1944, during the Battle of Normandy, by Pope Pius XII.The town of Lisieux, a 90-minute train ride from Paris, is where Thérèse spent her entire religious life. It is the second most visited pilgrimage destination in France, after Lourdes, with over 2 million pilgrims every year.Last year, in Pope Leo XIV’s message on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Thérèse’s parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, he called the faithful to “put Jesus at the centre of your families, your activities, and your choices. Help your children discover His boundless love and tenderness, and strive to make them love Him in return as He deserves: this is the great lesson that Louis and Zélie teach us today, and which the Church and the world so urgently need. How could Thérèse have loved Jesus and Mary so much — and then passed on such a beautiful doctrine to us — if she had not learned it from her saintly parents from an early age?”Thérèse lost her mother when she was just 4 years old and endured periods of illness and intense emotional sensitivity as a child. At 14, however, she experienced a moment of spiritual transformation where she received a special grace from God. In France, young children left their shoes by the hearth at Christmas, and parents would fill them with gifts. But her sister Celine didnʼt want Thérèse to grow up, so they continued to place gifts in “baby” Thérèseʼs shoes. As she and Celine climbed the stairs to take off their hats their fatherʼs voice rose from the parlor below. Standing over the shoes, he said: “Thank goodness thatʼs the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Thérèse froze, and her sister looked at her helplessly, knowing that in a few minutes she would be in tears over what their father had said. But the tantrum never came. A special grace came over Thérèse as Jesus had done what she could not do herself. She swallowed her tears, walked slowly down the stairs, and went over the gifts in the shoes, as if she had never heard a word her father said. In her autobiography, “Story of Soul,” she referred to that Christmas as her “conversion.”From childish to childlikeIn his book “The Way of Trust and Love,” French priest Jacques Philippe explores St. Thérèse of Lisieuxʼs “Little Way” to holiness. He recalls that “through seemingly insignificant events, God can heal us deeply. Sometimes we feel a call from the Lord to step outside ourselves, to take a step forward, to become more mature, more free. There are times in life when we dwell on our immaturity, our complaints, our laments, our dependencies, and then suddenly one day we are given grace, a gift from God, but one that also calls upon our freedom. There is a choice to be made; it is both healing and conversion: freedom must choose to perform an act of courage.”He then later proposes: “Let us then ask God this question: What is the ‘yes’ you are asking of me today? What is the small act of courage and trust you are asking me to do today?”For St. Thérèse, it was about overcoming her emotional sensitivity. For others, it might be learning to control their tongue, be more optimistic, or manage their temper.A ‘Little Way’ for everyoneFrom the very beginning of her life, Thérèse desired to be a saint; still, when she entered the convent, she also thought how inaccessible and unrealizable it was when she compared herself to others.And here, perhaps, is where we can learn one of her most powerful teachings: never lose courage.She goes on: “Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new … It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, and so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less.”But by “little,” Thérèse does not suggest we think of ourselves as of small value; instead, she reminds us of an unchanging truth: We are children of God.As St. John Paul II on his apostolic trip to France in June 1980 recalled: “There is something unique about it, a characteristic of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. In it, one finds both the confirmation and the renewal of the most fundamental and universal truth. What truth in the Gospel message is more fundamental and universal than this: God is our Father, and we are his children?”And like children who trust, even if thrown into the air, in the safety of returning to their parents' arms, we must trust in the providence of our Father, with a deep knowledge of his unlimited and unconditional love for us: “In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).A missionary without ever leaving homeProclaimed the patron saint of missionaries for her support of the missions through constant prayer and sacrifice despite being a cloistered nun who never left her convent, she said: “My strength lies in prayer and sacrifice; they are invincible weapons, and touch hearts more surely than words can do, as I have learned by experience.”To many, even in the convent, she seemed like an average, ordinary person. Her greatness showed in the constancy of her love for others in the simplest ways. Perhaps some of the missionary work we are called to do today doesn’t necessarily begin externally but within our hearts. As the saint herself wrote: “A word, a kindly smile, will often suffice to gladden a wounded and sorrowful heart.”Thérèse also found strength in Scripture: “But above all it is the Gospels that occupy me during my prayers; in them I find everything that is necessary for my poor little soul. I constantly discover in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings.”Her life was characterized by austerity, far from recognition and noise from the world. She died anonymously in 1897 at the young age of 24, and no more than 30 people attended her funeral.This saint’s life and journal is a legacy for all who want to learn a simple and practical approach toward their relationship with God. Her advice is for everyone: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”

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The beloved Carmelite nun, patron saint of the missions, and youngest doctor of the Church is celebrated in the universal Church on Oct. 1.

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