Blessed
Blessed Eustáquio van Lieshout
Priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Holland and Brazil, 1890-1943
Early life
Eustáquio Van Lieshout, baptised Humberto, was born in Aarle-Rixtel, Holland, on 3 November 1890, the eighth of 11 children of a Catholic farming family, and was baptised on the day of his birth.[1] He already felt called to the priesthood as a child, and despite the contrary opinion of his teacher and of his father, who wanted him to work on the farm, he attended the secondary school in Gemert.[1]
Vocation
After reading the biography of Fr Damien de Veuster he decided to join the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; he entered the novitiate in Tremeloo, Belgium, on 23 December 1913, was given the name Eustáquio, made his temporary vows in 1915 and his perpetual profession three years later.[1] He was ordained a priest on 10 August 1919, and his first assignment was as assistant novice master for his order.[1] For five years he served in parishes at Roelofarendsveen and at Maasluis near Rotterdam, where many Belgian immigrants had fled from the German invasion, and his care for the people earned him a decoration from the Belgium State.[1]
Mission in Brazil
In December 1924 he was sent to Spain to learn the language with a view to Uruguay, but instead was sent to Brazil, sailing from Amsterdam in 1925 with the Provincial and two other missionaries, including Gil van de Boogaard, who became a close friend.[1] In 1926 he became parish priest of Agua Suja and counsellor of his Congregation, devoting himself in particular to the poor and the sick.[1] In 1935 he was appointed parish priest in Poá, in the area of Sao Paulo; he was known to have the gift of healing through the intercession of St Joseph, directed towards strengthening the faith of the people and freeing them from superstition.[1] His reputation spread throughout the country and people travelled long distances to see him; the disturbance this caused provoked the interference of the civil authorities, and his superiors felt he should be transferred.[1] In 1942 he was sent to the parish of Ibiá and almost immediately to Belo Horizonte, where he continued to be sought out by thousands of people.[1]
Death and recognition
In 1943, during a retreat he was preaching to students of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus College at Belo Horizonte from 18 to 21 August, he seemed very tired, and the day after the retreat he had a high temperature.[1] Immediately after Mass on 23 August he retired to the sacristy and fainted, and doctors were slow to diagnose him as having typhus.[1] When his friend Fr Gil finally arrived on 30 August, he exclaimed, seeing him in the doorway, 'Fr Gil, thanks be to God!' and died instantly.[1] He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on 15 June 2006.[1]
Follow the evidence
Sources and notes
- Eustáquio van Lieshout
Dicastery for the Causes of Saints · Italian
Accessed 2026-09-05
Editorial notes
Translated and condensed from the Dicastery's official Italian profile by an automated pass on 2026-09-09; identity matched on the death date and name; editorial review pending.
This is an AI-assisted draft prepared from the sources above. Its citations identify its evidence; they do not replace a historical review.
The inherited biography
The earlier biography for this record.
Read the inherited biography
Blessed Eustáquio van Lieshout, also known as Eustachius van Lieshout, Hubertus van Lieshout, and Humberto van Lieshout, was born on November 3, 1890, in Aarle-Rixtel, North Brabant, Netherlands. He was the eighth of eleven children in a deeply Catholic farm family and was baptized on the day he was born. Even as a child, Eustáquio showed a strong devotion to his faith and felt a calling to the priesthood.
Despite doubts from his family and teachers about his academic abilities, Eustáquio pursued his vocation and studied in Gemert, where he excelled enough to be accepted into the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He entered the novitiate in Tremeloo, Belgium, on December 23, 1913, and took the name Eustáquio. In 1918, he made his permanent vows, and on August 10, 1919, he was ordained as a priest.
For the next five years, Eustáquio served as an assistant novice master in the Netherlands, demonstrating his ministry skills and providing guidance to his charges and parishioners. However, his desire to become a missionary grew stronger, and in December 1924, he was sent to Spain to learn the Spanish language. In 1925, he was finally sent to Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
Eustáquio dedicated himself to the service of others over the course of his mission in Brazil. He spent ten years in Agua Suja, followed by six years in Poá, and another two years in Belo Horizonte. During his time there, he became known for his ministry to the poor and the sick, earning a reputation for holiness and miracles. Through the intercession of Saint Joseph, Eustáquio had the gift of healing, and countless people sought him out for help and support.
The fame of Eustáquio's holiness and the miracles associated with him began to attract so many people that it drew the attention of the civil government, who voiced their complaints. In 1942, his superiors decided to transfer him to a new location in order to prevent him from becoming the sole focus of the faithful instead of the faith itself. However, even after his transfer, thousands still sought him out, demonstrating the profound impact he had on the people.
Tragically, on August 30, 1943, Eustáquio passed away in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, due to typhoid fever. He was buried initially at the church of Santo Domingo in Belo Horizonte. In 1949, his remains were re-interred at the church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in the same city.
Eustáquio's reputation as a holy man and his remarkable life of service did not go unnoticed. On April 12, 2003, Pope John Paul II declared him venerable, recognizing his heroic virtues. Later, on June 15, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI beatified him during a recognition liturgy celebrated in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, by Monsignor Walmor de Oliveira de Azevedo, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Belo Horizonte.
Blessed Eustáquio van Lieshout, a devoted and selfless servant of God, continues to inspire and intercede for all those who seek his help, particularly in matters of healing and faith. His feast day is commemorated on August 30th.
Image: Public domain via Wikimedia Commons (Eust. van Lieshout c.1920.jpg)
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