An email received by Father Vinícius Maciel, SSCC, vice-postulator of the Cause of Canonization of Blessed Father Eustáquio in Brazil, surprised and moved the team researching details of the priest's life. The message, sent by the Blessed's nephew, Will van den Boomem, contained three videos recorded in Brazil in the mid-1930s, which were stored in the Netherlands.

In total, ten minutes of material were obtained, in which just over three minutes there are images of Father Eustáquio working in cities in São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The videos (16mm films) were at the Institute for Image & Sound (an audiovisual museum) in the city of Hilversum, in the north of the Netherlands. They were discovered and digitized at the request of the nephew who assists the Cause of Canonization in the research work.

The videos (WATCH HERE) were presented to the community and the press, this Tuesday (27) at the Padre Eustáquio Museum, attached to the Health and Peace Sanctuary, in Belo Horizonte-MG, with the presence of Padre Eustáquio's nephews, Ian van den Boomen and Will van den Boomen, as well as the Provincial Superior, Fr. Osvânio Mariano, SS.CC. and the representative of the Cause in Brazil, Fr. Vinícius Maciel, SSCC.

THE VIDEOS

In one of the videos, Father Eustáquio briefly appears on the steps of the Nossa Senhora do Carmo Church in Itaquera-SP, alongside children, posing for the camera; in another segment, Father Eustáquio is visiting the São Miguel Paulista Church. He appears seated, flanked by a parishioner and a priest, talking to a child.

At another point, the images show the Blessed in Poá-SP, where the main church he served as parish priest is located (Our Lady of Lourdes Church). Initially, he appears standing in the gardens of the Parish House (which he built) alongside other brothers of the Congregation. They seem to be conversing during a moment of leisure. Later, the film shows a funeral procession, apparently the burial of a humble person. Father Eustáquio follows the cortege in his own vestments (pieces that are in the Father Eustáquio Museum in Belo Horizonte), stops at the gate of the Poá Cemetery, gives a short sermon, and then immediately appears giving the blessing at the tomb.

Finally, there are images of Água Suja (present-day Romaria) in the Triângulo Mineiro region. On one of the dirt roads in the area, the car carrying the priests gets stuck in a mudhole, and Father Eustáquio quickly appears beside the vehicle while the situation is resolved.

IMPACT AND CENTENARY

Father Vinícius Maciel, SSCC, representing the process overseeing the Canonization Cause of Father Eustáquio in Brazil, highlighted two important points: “"I highlight the historical aspect, because until now there was no record of Father Eustáquio's work, showing his gestures and pious actions at the wake and in his care for the children; and the emotional dimension. It's impossible to describe the emotion of seeing Father Eustáquio at work; anyone who is devout is deeply moved.".

This year, the Cause for Canonization launches the logo commemorating the 100th anniversary of Father Eustáquio's arrival in Brazil. The logo combines striking images of the places the Blessed Father visited, always doing good and healing people. The exact date is May 12, 1925, when the ship Flandria docked in Rio de Janeiro, bringing Father Eustáquio and two other companions (Father Gil and Father Mathias) from Holland.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The launch of the Centenary and the videos will take place at the Padre Eustáquio Museum, which is being reopened to devotees, especially after the installation of the elevator platform, which will allow visits by elderly people and those with reduced mobility.

The community's achievement was made possible with the help of many devotees and also the public authorities to create this new space for art and culture, showcasing the deep-rooted devotion of the people of Belo Horizonte to this man who, God willing, will soon be proclaimed a Saint by our Church.

With meticulous and tireless work, the Canonization Cause team, led by the vice-postulator, Fr. Vinícius Maciel, SSCC, has been developing various fronts in search of documents, letters, objects, newspaper clippings, photos, and videos that can help tell details of the story of Father Eustáquio, a Dutch priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, who lived his mission in Brazil. Recently, Father Vinícius Maciel was in Rome, Italy, researching the Congregation's archives, and also in the Netherlands, in contact with the archives of Father Eustáquio's family and documents related to religious life in the country.

The videos found now will be added to the other materials already separated and cataloged that are being gradually made available for research and public appreciation at the Padre Eustáquio Museum, fulfilling the Church's commitment to Christian values, to devotees, and to the culture of all our people.