On May 12, 1925, the first missionaries of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts arrived in Brazil, disembarking in Rio de Janeiro. Their plans were to found the Congregation in the South American country and serve in cities that needed spiritual guidance.

To pray for the work that was beginning, in June of that year, Father Eustáquio, Father Mathias, and Father Gil traveled to Aparecida, in São Paulo. They went to the Church of the Patron Saint of Brazil to pray before the image found in the waters of the Paraíba River.

During the visit, Father Eustáquio sent a postcard from the city to his sister Pacífica, also a nun, in the Netherlands. In the postcard, the priest wrote:

“Dear sister Pacifica,
Sincerely, from this famous pilgrimage site in Brazil – to the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, to the Reverend Mother and the sisters. Everything, thank God, is going well. We will support our bishop in Uberaba. Temporary address: Episcopal Palace, Uberaba, Brazil. Next, we will go to a pilgrimage site that is without a spiritual director: Água Suja, to settle permanently. You will receive a letter soon.
Your beloved, Father Eustace.”