More than 30,000 devotees from all over the country and even from outside Brazil participated in the celebrations on August 30th to mark the 80th anniversary of Father Eust\u00e1quio's death. The date received significant coverage in all media outlets, especially on national religious television channels.<\/p>\n
The festivities at the Archdiocesan Sanctuary of Health and Peace began at 6:00 AM with the first Mass celebrated by the Provincial of the Sacred Hearts in Brazil, Fr. Osv\u00e2nio Mariano, ss.cc. Throughout the day, priests of the Congregation presided over Masses of Thanksgiving for Blessed Father Eustace.<\/p>\n
The 9 a.m. mass was broadcast live nationwide on Rede Vida Television. Then, at 7 p.m., TV Horizonte broadcast the solemn mass.<\/p>\n
The highlight of the day was the inauguration of the Padre Eust\u00e1quio Museum at the ASPE Cultural Center (attached to the church). The ribbon-cutting ceremony began at 8:30 am and was attended by Padre Eust\u00e1quio's nephews and the mayor of the capital, Fuad Noman, who, visibly moved, spoke about his devotion to the Blessed.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Masses and the inauguration of the Museum, the faithful and devotees were also able to participate in moments of Adoration, pray the Holy Rosary, and visit the community stalls set up in the square all day.<\/p>\n
This year, a group of 12 people, relatives of Father Eust\u00e1quio, participated in the festivities in Belo Horizonte. In addition to Will and Jan, nephews of the Blessed, great-cousins and great-nephews also came to experience the celebration.<\/p>\n
Another important presence was that of the Postulator General of the Cause, Fr. Andrzej Lukawski, ss.cc. This was the second time that the religious figure representing the Cause for the Canonization of Father Eust\u00e1quio before the Holy See attended the celebration in Belo Horizonte.<\/p>\n
All the programming, including all the masses and the museum's inauguration, was broadcast live on the Padre Eust\u00e1quio Channel (REVIEW HERE<\/a>The solemn mass, presided over by the rector of the Sanctuary, Fr. Vin\u00edcius Maciel, ss.cc, was featured on TV Can\u00e7\u00e3o Nova and was also broadcast on Canal Padre Eust\u00e1quio (REVIEW HERE<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t