Father Eustace van Lieshout was born in Aarle Rixtel, and it was while living there that he learned the story of Damien of Molokai, who lived in the Brabant region, located between the south of the Netherlands and the north of Belgium.

The blessed man learned of Damien's story in his childhood, but it was in his youth, while reading about the Saint's life, that Father Eustace became captivated by Damien of Molokai. It was then that the desire to become a missionary, just as the "apostle of the lepers" had become, arose in his heart.

In 1915, the young Eustáquio professed vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, becoming a religious of the Sacred Hearts, just like Saint Damien of Molokai.

Who was Saint Damien of Molokai?

Father Damien, or Damien of Molokai, was a missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in Belgium in 1840.

He dedicated his missionary life to caring for lepers on Molokai, an island in Hawaii, where he died of the disease in 1889.

Damien was the first missionary to set foot on the "Cursed Island," accepting the mission of caring for the sick when no one else wanted to follow that calling. He treated the lepers with dignity, showing no fear of the future that awaited him.

The priest was beatified in 1995 and canonized in 2009. He was considered the greatest Belgian of all time and became the patron saint of Hawaii.