The priest responsible for the Cause of Canonization of the Blessed Father Eustáquio, Father Vinícius Maciel, SSCC, celebrated the votive Mass for the Blessed in the chapel, still under construction, in the city of Caeté, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. The invitation was extended by devotees of Father Eustáquio in the city, who are responsible for the small church.

The Holy Mass was held at 7 PM and was attended by residents of the Quintas da Serra neighborhood, right at the foot of the Serra da Piedade mountain range. Mr. Joel Matias, the owner of the land where the oratory is located, welcomed Father Vinícius Maciel, the postulant Vanildo Lima Sena, and the managers Denise Dellaretti and Marcelo Silveira.

During the celebration, Father Vinícius spoke about the period of exile experienced by Father Eustáquio, when the religious man dedicated himself even more to prayer and the study of the Word of God; making reference to the day of Saint Jerome, the one responsible for translating the Bible, celebrated on September 30th.

Every month, on the 30th, devotees of Father Eustace celebrate the memory of the Blessed and invite a priest to celebrate with the faithful.

The result of a grace received.

At the foot of the Sanctuary of the Patron Saint of Minas Gerais, a temple is being built on private property. The site is the residence and workshop of the sacred art craftsman Joel Matias, known throughout the region for the beauty of his works sculpted in different materials. The place will serve as a point of pilgrimage for the faithful in honor of Blessed Father Eustáquio.

It all began after a promise made by the lawyer and former mayor of Caeté, Ademir Carvalho, who received a blessing through the intercession of Father Eustáquio. “My son Jair contracted spotted fever after participating in a horseback riding event in Caeté. He fell into a deep coma, and it was difficult to diagnose the disease. Then, someone told me to pray to Father Eustáquio, who died from this disease, which is transmitted by ticks. I went to the church where his tomb is in Belo Horizonte and prayed for my son. When I arrived at the hospital, I saw my son come out of the coma and progressively improve until he recovered. At that point, I made a promise to build a shrine in honor of Father Eustáquio.”, said Ademir.

Based on this fact, Ademir sought out Joel, who had long harbored a devotion to the Dutch priest who died in Belo Horizonte with a reputation for holiness, and together they spearheaded the audacious project that has been underway for about three years. “The oratory will be named after Our Lady of the Annunciation and Blessed Father Eustace. The title of Our Lady was chosen because of the relic from the house of the Virgin Mary that the place received some time ago. As for Blessed Father Eustace, it was chosen because of my devotion and also that of Ademir, who was one of the inspirers of the work,”, said Joel.

The oratory, which can seat 80 people, is Gothic in style and strongly inspired by aspects of Catholic theology, from the dimensions and shapes of the altars to the design of the finishes. An image of the Blessed, donated by a devotee, was placed above the entrance to the oratory.

**with information from the Opinião de Caeté newspaper (journalist João Eduardo Santana)