Saint Who?
Saints Who Were Missionaries
Blessed Eustáquio van Lieshout
Priest and religious († 1943) Feast: August 30
It wasn’t easy for Eustáquio to become a priest. His father didn’t think he was smart enough, and his teachers also discouraged him. But he proved them wrong and, inspired by a biography of Saint Damien de Veuster, became a priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
For a few years, he served in Belgium. He even earned a state honor for his outreach to immigrants after World War I. His order sent him to Spain to learn Spanish but then unexpectedly sent him to Brazil, where he had to quickly learn Portuguese. As a missionary priest, Eustáquio devoted himself to caring for families, the poor, and the sick.
But he did not merely care for the sick. Through his prayers—although he always credited Saint Joseph—he healed the sick. As he spoke with those who were suffering, he also educated them about the Catholic faith and helped them turn away from superstitious practices. His gifts as a healer became so well known that thousands of people flocked to see him. The Brazilian government saw these large gatherings as politically dangerous. Even though the crowds were always peaceful, civil leaders forced Father Eustáquio to move several times. Immediately after preaching a retreat to college students, he contracted typhus from an insect bite and died suddenly.
Holy Spirit, show us how to bring healing to the souls and bodies of those around us.
