Eustaquio van Lieshout

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Blessed Eustaquio van Lieshout, ss.cc., was born as Humbert on November 3, 1890, in Aarle-Rixtel in the diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch in the province of North Brabant of the Netherlands. As a religious and priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (ss.cc.), he lived as a missionary who, in the simplicity of the apostolic religious life, worked untiringly sharing the Word, the blessing of God, forgiveness and Eucharist. God gave him a special gift so that when he blessed people they experienced much good. Success followed Father Eustachius from the beginning. While still a young priest in Europe, in recognition of his work, the King of Belgium knighted him in the Order of Léopold. He was pastor for a while of Roelofarendsveen in the Netherlands.

Father Eustaquio and two other Picpus father and three brothers arrived in Brazil in 1925, in response to the call of a local bishop. There he tried to follow the example of the great missionary of Christian charity, Blessed Father Damien de Veuster, ss.cc. When he died, many considered him a saint. Many even spoke of him working miracles.

In Agua Suja in Brazil, the population started a bloodless to stop him from going to Poa where he was sent by his superiors. In obedience, he travelled to Poo where his struggles with the spiritistes was the beginning of his glory and at the same time of his great suffering. His blessings and cures of the sick made the little village a center of pilgrimage (as well as the troubles that came with it). Railroads were not able to furnish transportation for the great crowds; the lack of adequate housing meant that not even sanitary conditions prevailed. The police were no longer able to maintain order. Merchants sold bad food at high prices and thieves and robbers roamed the pilgrimage area preying on innocent victims. Father Eustaquio was ordered to leave his parish to prevent these conditions from continuing. Despite this, tremendous crowds followed him everywhere. Brazilian authorities became so alarmed that they ordered him out of towns and villages. No one had anything against this priest, but they were afraid of the crowds and the troubles that would follow.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro instructed him to leave the capitol city by midnight. Subsequently, a fanatical crowd blocked traffic and invaded church rectories looking for him. Somehow, he managed to find a hiding place and passed a year in peace and happiness. His final appointment was as pastor of Belo Horizonte, where he lived the last two years of his life. He was given an assistant who was able to control the crowds. No one was permitted to enter the rectory without a card of introduction. In this fashion, Father Eustaquio was able to give himself altogether to the work of his parish. After a week of sickness caused by an insect bite, he died on August 30, 1943.

At his death, on his body, was found a penitential pointed iron chain, buried so deep in his flesh that it could not be removed without making wounds. God's blessings through the person of Father Eustaquio are said to have cured many sick and his priestly holiness is said to have healed many souls. The Church of the Sacred Hearts in Belo Horizonte is loved by Brazilians who venerate their former pastor as a power intercessor with God. His cause for beatification has been introduced and the study of the heroicity of his virtue has already been completed.

[edit] Beatification

Father Eustaquio was beatified on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 15, 2006, at 4:00 P.M., in Belo Horizonte, Brazil at a liturgy conducted by Msgr. Walmor de Oliveira de Azevedo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Belo Horizonte, and presided over by José Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints. This follows a December 19, 2005, rescript from Vatican declaring authentic a miracle attributed to the intercession of Father Eustaquio.