Fr. Eucinei Antonio De Souza, F.D.P

Fr. Eucinei Antonio de Souza, or simply, Fr. Antonio,  will be with us on a temporary basis as he discerns leaving his religious order to become a diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of Boston.  This is a 3-5 year process, and The Holy Rood Collaboroative will be the first assignment that he will be serving in this this capacity.

Fr. Antonio was born in Brazil in 1976 to Mr. Antonio de Souza and Mrs. Maria Auxiliadora Souza. He’s the oldest of two siblings. 

At the age of 17 he joined the Congregation of the Sons of Divine Providence (Don Orione Fathers) in 1994 in Belo Horizonte - Brazil. In 1996 he made his novitiate in Brasilia, making his first religious profession on January 12, 1997. 

Fascinated by the ideal of religious life and humbled by the mystery of the priesthood, he asked to serve the Lord as a religious brother, despite his superior’s recommendation that he became a priest. 
During his initial formation, he spent two years in England-Ireland, serving the elderly and helping young men who had trouble with the law. Returning to Brazil, the Congregation asked him to earn a college degree in Business Management, to prepare him to manage it’s
institutions, such as orphanages, colleges, hospitals, etc.
Later, he earned his Master’s degree.

Feeling that the Lord was calling him to the mission, he went to the Philippines in 2004 to work with the poor and the handicapped. It was there, among the poorest of the poor, where he saw the great need for holy priests, and heard the Lord calling him again; this time to the priesthood. He studied philosophy and theology at the St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University in Manila. On May 12, 2012, he was ordained a priest of the Lord.

After spending 14 years in the Philippines, Fr. Antonio was sent to the United States, to work at the Madonna Queen of the Universe Shrine in East Boston. It is here that he had the privilege to serve both the American and the Brazilian Communities.

On a personal note, he loves driving, reading, walking and fishing... but above all, he is a happy priest. He is very grateful for his vocation and very intent on following what the Lord is asking of him.