On September 2, the second session of the International Symposium on Health and Peace took place in Belo Horizonte. The morning sessions were held in the John Paul II Hall of the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas, and the afternoon session in the Padre Eustaquio Theater.
The morning began with the words of the university rector, Father Luís Henrique Eloy e Silva, who said that Father Eustaquio imitated Christ in his life to such an extent that those who saw him wanted to be close to Jesus—a call to holiness. He is a true example of a pastor who became one with the Brazilian people and gave himself in a radiant way. He learned to speak the language of the people to become an instrument of God. “Health and peace” remind him to shepherd and care—fundamental dimensions of life. He highlighted how Eustaquio impacts and transforms our history. The saint is a living page of the Gospel. The best way to evangelize is to live holiness.
Next came the lecture by Alberto Toutin sscc, Superior General, titled: “Blessed Father Eustaquio and the Principle of Healing.” He highlighted how Father Eustaquio placed himself in the hands of God and the people he served. There, he discovered the gifts that the Lord was giving him precisely to make himself available and serve his people. Moreover, Eustaquio loved people in their vulnerability, becoming the face of the Father’s compassion.
Alberto asked whether it is possible to repair the irreparable. He reflected on Gaza and so many places where families and lands are harmed and also recalled cases of abuse. Reparative action is humble and true. Every act of repair involves acknowledging the harm done to victims. Repair is hopeful through the collaboration of all, enabling the victim to rebuild their innocence. Making it possible for victim and perpetrator to meet as human beings is a new beginning that opens for both. The reparative encounter seeks to make the wound bearable. Father Eustaquio opened the future to those who came to him with health and peace.
The Superior General also highlighted some features of Father Eustaquio’s spirituality:
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Shepherded by God and his people. Contact with the poor awakens the gifts in him to serve them. Health and peace as a profound experience of faith and trust. Trust in God as the foundation of life. Seeing how people are transformed by their trust in God strengthens him. We are often shortsighted in recognizing the greatness of God.
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Ministry. He clearly sees the wounds that weaken trust. He seeks to intercede before God for the people. He allows the light of God to enter the depths of his heart. He is a wounded pastor who lets himself be repaired by the Lord, becoming a transparent crystal of God’s transforming power.
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Serving Jesus in his brothers and sisters. He discovers the call to console those who come to him. The Lord gives Eustaquio new brothers and sisters to love. He feels united with the people of this land. In his agony, he unites himself with the Lord Jesus as a wounded pastor. He opens himself to a new pastoral fruitfulness. Eustaquio feels the assistance of St. Joseph in fostering friendship with Jesus.
Eustaquio was a believer, pastor, and intercessor because he placed his life in God’s hands. He is a poet of charity. He recognizes that God is the source of life. God is health and peace.
At the end of the morning, a roundtable was held with the participation of Marcus Vinicius Maciel sscc (vice-postulator of the cause), Evaldo Xavier Gomes O. Carm (Pontifical Lateran University), and Andrzej Lukawski sscc (general postulator).
Vinicius provided context for Eustaquio’s figure and recounted the history of the canonization process. He found it very interesting to research in the Netherlands and in the General House, exploring Eustaquio’s letters and writings to his family and the Superior General. He described devotion as dedication, consecration, and commitment. He placed Eustaquio within a group of missionaries, not as a solitary star or a miracle worker with an individual trajectory. Beyond the idea of a thaumaturge, he was a man consecrated to God for the growth of His Kingdom.
Evaldo explained the canonical aspects of canonization processes, which must take into account life, death, and the post-mortem part. It is a complex process. He also explained the concept of a miracle.
Andrzej expressed his joy at being in Belo Horizonte and participating in this Symposium. He placed Father Eustaquio among other figures of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, from the Founders to the present day. He expressed hope that a miracle will soon be recognized, enabling the canonization of Blessed Eustaquio. He highlighted how the Founders of the Congregation have produced many fruits of holiness. He explained how a Christian can be included in the catalog of saints and, finally, indicated what inspirations we can find in the lives and activities of the sscc saints.
In the afternoon, at the Padre Eustaquio Theater, we attended the conference “Father Eustaquio van Lieshout sscc: Historical Contextualization,” by Henrique Cristiano José Matos (superior of the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady Mother of Mercy, founders of the Padre Eustaquio College). He delighted us with a four-part presentation:
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Father Eustaquio and his Congregation in the Netherlands. Born in a very Catholic area. Strong Dutch missionary impulse. Already in the Netherlands, he was not limited to blessings but also became involved in the material care of people. He was interested in Catholic social action.
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The socio-political and ecclesial context of the missionary in his time.
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Life and apostolate in Brazil. He went to the peripheries and the needy, something uncommon at the time.
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Profile of Blessed Eustaquio. Human-spiritual portrait:
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Missionary between two worlds (Europe-America)
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Son of his time
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Unconditional faith in divine Providence
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Aversion to personalisms
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Temperament and coexistence
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Apostolic zeal
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Intense interior life
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Authenticity and coherence
Eustaquio sought to imitate Jesus in the essential: his radical experience of mercy, compassionate love.
At the end of the conference, the auditorium stood and applauded gratefully the presentation of Brother Henrique Cristiano.
09/03/2025