American professor and researcher Hérika Helga, from Yale University in the United States, visited the Sanctuary of Health and Peace in Belo Horizonte this week. She learned about the history of the church designed by Father Eustáquio and visited the archives related to devotion to the Blessed One.

The visit is part of a study by the professor on religions in Latin America. Hérika said she has been in Brazil for a month and a half researching devotions, especially in São Paulo and Minas Gerais. “I am focusing my work in São Paulo, but when I researched the construction of grottoes in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes – something also practiced in the USA – I learned about the grotto in Poá that was built by Father Eustáquio, and I was immediately captivated by his story and the devotion surrounding this priest.”, said the teacher.

In the capital of Minas Gerais, the researcher had access to objects, books, and documents published in the beatification process. According to Hérika, the accounts of graces received recorded in the documents found in Belo Horizonte will greatly help in the study she is developing.

The American researcher's work is still in its early stages. According to her, after visiting some important study sites in Latin America, the recorded material will be organized and could become a book, an academic paper, or even part of a course at Yale University, but this will be decided by the professor.

Yale University

Yale University — the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States — consistently ranks among the top 20 in the world, according to leading university rankings in 2022. Its origins date back to the 1640s, when colonial clergymen sought to create a college to preserve the tradition of European liberal education.

Its founding actually took place in 1701. Today, the institution is part of the Ivy League (a group that brings together the eight most prestigious universities in the USA) and is located in the city of New Haven, in the state of Connecticut, in the northeastern United States.

With its mission to "cultivate citizens to lead and serve in all spheres of human activity," Yale currently has approximately 13,000 students. Of these, about 6,000 are undergraduates, and there are another 7,500 graduate and professional development students. In total, there are almost 3,000 international students at the university, coming from 123 different countries.

Throughout its history, Yale has produced five American presidents – including George Bush Sr. and Jr., and Bill Clinton, who met Hillary Clinton on campus – 19 Supreme Court justices, 13 billionaires, and numerous heads of state. Among its alumni, professors, and researchers, Yale boasts more than 60 Nobel laureates.

*with information from estudarfora.org.br/yale-university