Devotees from all over the country and even from outside Brazil will commemorate this Wednesday, August 30th, the 80th anniversary of the death of Father Eustáquio. The religious figure, already proclaimed Blessed by the Holy See, died in 1943, a victim of spotted fever, and is considered by many to be a true saint.

The festivities at the Archdiocesan Sanctuary of Health and Peace began on the 19th when the "Singers of God" performed a show at the Church of Father Eustáquio, opening the celebrations. From the 21st to the 29th, invited priests and religious, as well as devotees from various parts of Brazil, participated in the novena in Belo Horizonte.

For the liturgical day of Blessed Father Eustáquio, August 30th, more than 25,000 people are expected to visit the Sanctuary in the northwest region of the capital of Minas Gerais. Masses will be held at 6:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM, followed by a solemn celebration at 7:00 PM and a candlelight procession. The highlight of the day will be the inauguration of the Father Eustáquio Museum at the ASPE Cultural Center (attached to the church). The unveiling of the plaque will take place at 8:30 AM and will be attended by religious authorities, representatives of the municipal administration, and Father Eustáquio's nephews.

In addition to the Masses and the inauguration of the Museum, the faithful and devotees will also be able to participate in moments of Adoration, pray the Holy Rosary, and visit the community stalls set up in the square all day.

This year, a group of 12 people, relatives of Father Eustáquio, will participate in the festivities in Belo Horizonte. In addition to Will and Jan, nephews of the Blessed, great-cousins and great-nephews also came to experience the celebration.

Another important presence is that of the Postulator General of the Cause, Fr. Andrzej Lukawski, ss.cc. The religious figure who represents the Cause for the Canonization of Father Eustáquio before the Holy See is already in Belo Horizonte and will participate in the solemn mass at 7 pm.

All programming, including all masses and the museum's inauguration, will be broadcast live on... Padre Eustáquio Channel on YouTube, starting at 6 AM.

Blessed Father Eustace

Born Hubbertus on November 3, 1889, in Aarle Rixtel, Netherlands, Father Eustace came from a large and very religious family. Baptized on the same day he was born, the boy entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts shortly before turning 15.

Inspired by the missionary ideal of Saint Damien of Molokai, Eustáquio professed his vows in 1915 and four years later was ordained a priest. In 1925 he came to Brazil as a missionary, passing through Água Suja (now Romaria-MG), Poá-SP and several other cities in the interior of Minas Gerais, as well as the capital Rio de Janeiro. In 1942 he arrived in Belo Horizonte, where he stayed for a little over a year and four months.

Bitten by a tick, Father Eustáquio died on August 30, 1943, at the Minas Gerais Sanatorium (now Alberto Cavalcanti Hospital) in Belo Horizonte. His reputation for holiness spread among the people, leading the Church to open the Beatification process thirteen years after his death.

After several stages of the process, Pope Saint John Paul II declared him Venerable in 2003, and in 2006 Pope Benedict XVI included Father Eustace's name in the list of the Blessed of the Church. Currently, the Holy See awaits confirmation of one more miracle to declare Father Eustace a saint.