On Sunday, August 30th, the church will celebrate the memory of Blessed Father Eustace, the Dutch religious figure who came to Brazil and became a Missionary of Health and Peace. The festivities in Belo Horizonte begin with a procession (by car) on Saturday, followed by online programming on Sunday and the celebration of Holy Mass at 6 PM, presided over by the Archbishop of Belo Horizonte and president of the [church/organization name - unclear from context]. CNBB, D. Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo.

On Saturday, a processional car will travel through the streets of the Padre Eustáquio neighborhood carrying the image of the Blessed. Almost all the streets in the neighborhood will be included in the procession. People are advised to remain in their homes, demonstrating their faith and devotion from their windows or with decorations on their facades. The entire route will be broadcast live on [website/platform name - needs to be filled in]. Padre Eustáquio Channel, on YouTube.

On Sunday, August 30th, the church will be open all day (until 4:30 PM) for visits from the faithful, which will be controlled with all sanitary measures required by the authorities. At 10:00 AM, the Congregation's religious members will hold a live broadcast on their YouTube channel and also on Facebook. @beatopadreeustaquio, about the missionary's life. At 3 pm, a virtual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be led by members of the Sacred Hearts. Concluding the program, at 6 pm, there will be a Holy Mass with Dom Walmor, which will also be broadcast online. TV Horizon, in addition to the Sanctuary's media outlets.

Participate by watching from home, with the same faith and devotion! Share the links and invite your friends and family to pray with us for "Health and Peace"!

Life and history

Eustáquio van Lieshout was born in the Netherlands, with the name Humberto, in 1890 and at the age of 15 he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, inspired by the example of holiness of the missionary Saint Damien of Molokai. In 1919, he received priestly ordination and continued serving the People of God in his country. Six years later he came to Brazil and founded, together with Father Gil van den Boogaart and Father Matias van Rooy, the first community of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in the country.

He built the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Abbey of Água Suja, in Romaria-MG, and was later transferred to Poá-SP, where the first reports of miracles were found. The fame of holiness of the "Vicar of Poá" spread throughout the country, and the uncontrollable harassment from the crowds led his superiors to remove him from the parish in 1941. He lived in seclusion in various cities in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and in the capital of Rio de Janeiro.

In 1942, he was appointed parish priest in Belo Horizonte. He stayed in the capital of Minas Gerais for only 1 year and 4 months, enough to leave deep roots in the spirituality of the people of Belo Horizonte. However, a sudden high fever interrupted this intense apostolate, and on August 30, 1943, he died, a victim of typhus or spotted fever, also called tick fever.

His funeral was a true triumphal march. The burial was the beginning of an apotheosis. His tomb, in the Bonfim Cemetery, continued to be visited by the faithful. The construction of the Church of the Sacred Hearts became a reality, and the people affectionately began to call it "Father Eustáquio's Church".

Once construction was completed, Father Eustáquio's body was exhumed and moved to a tomb inside the church in 1949, where it remained until 2007, when it was transferred to the Memorial, built adjacent to the temple.

On June 15, 2006, the solemn Beatification took place at Mineirão Stadium: the public recognition of a heroic life of virtue and service. The Mineirão stadium, in Belo Horizonte – MG, hosted, during the Corpus Christi celebration, a multitude of faithful from parishes in Belo Horizonte and other cities. There were more than 80,000 people at the 12th "Torcida de Deus" (God's Fan Club).