Aloísio Sebastião Boeing

The priestly life of Father Aloísio Boeing was primarily dedicated to the formation of future religious of his congregation and to spiritual accompaniment. In 1952, he was appointed novice master in Brusque, a position of high responsibility that he would hold without interruption for 24 years. In 1954, he initiated the construction of the Our Lady of Fátima novitiate in Jaraguá do Sul (Santa Catarina), which was officially inaugurated on June 8, 1956. Under his spiritual direction, firm yet marked by great paternal kindness, dozens of young Dehonians were formed, among whom were several future bishops and Cardinal Eusébio Scheid.

Parallel to his mission as a formator, Father Aloísio accompanied a group of young women desirous of consecrating their lives to God while remaining engaged in the world. Thus, in 1976, in collaboration with Neide Girolla, he founded the Fraternidade Mariana do Coração de Jesus (Marian Fraternity of the Heart of Jesus) in Jaraguá do Sul. This institute of consecrated female life, inspired by the Dehonian charism, was officially erected as a Public Association of the Faithful on July 26, 1994, by the Bishop of Joinville, Mgr. Orlando Brandes. Father Aloísio dedicated a large part of his strength to structuring and accompanying this fraternity, giving it a solid spiritual framework centered on the love of the Heart of Jesus and Marian devotion.

After completing his term as novice master in 1976, Father Aloísio exercised various pastoral ministries. He served as parish priest of São Ludgero in Pomerode (Santa Catarina), then as spiritual director and bursar at the Father Dehon retirement home in Brusque in 1982. In 1983, he was sent to the parish of Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Nereu Ramos, a district of Jaraguá do Sul. It was in this parish that he spent the final decades of his life, becoming a tireless spiritual counselor and confessor for a multitude of the faithful. Day and night, he welcomed with patience and gentleness all those who came seeking a blessing, advice, or an attentive ear. His charity towards the poor and the sick was immense, providing them with both material and spiritual support. He also manifested a remarkable ecumenical spirit, notably towards the local Lutheran community, for whom he had become a respected point of reference. Despite health that had become very precarious at the end of his life, he remained faithful to his ministry of hospitality until the very end. He passed away peacefully on April 17, 2006, in Jaraguá do Sul, at the age of 92. He was buried in the garden adjacent to the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário in Nereu Ramos, a place that immediately became a pilgrimage sanctuary for the faithful.

The reputation for holiness of Father Aloísio Boeing, already very strong during his lifetime, grew even further after his death, accompanied by numerous testimonies of graces obtained through his intercession. On February 28, 2013, the Holy See granted the nihil obstat for the opening of his cause for beatification. The diocesan process was officially opened on May 17, 2013, by the Bishop of Joinville, Msgr. Irineu Roque Scherer.

After a meticulous investigation and the collection of numerous testimonies, the diocesan phase was closed on March 17, 2015, in Jaraguá do Sul. The documents were then transmitted to Rome for the Roman phase under the direction of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

On February 23, 2023, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Father Aloísio Boeing, officially conferring upon him the title of Venerable. The process currently continues, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession, an essential step for his beatification.

The spirituality of Father Aloísio Boeing was deeply Eucharistic and Marian. A member of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he drew his strength from the contemplation of divine love manifested in the Heart of Christ. Feeling his death approaching, he told his loved ones: "You will find me in the Eucharist." His devotion to the Virgin Mary was also a pillar of his spiritual life, which he strove to transmit to his novices and to the members of the Marian Fraternity.

His legacy remains extremely vibrant in southern Brazil. The Marian Fraternity of the Heart of Jesus continues to live according to his teachings and to propagate his charism. Furthermore, every 17th of the month (in memory of the day of his death), devotional masses are celebrated at the parish of Nereu Ramos, attracting thousands of pilgrims who come to pray at his tomb and visit the Father Aloísio Space, inaugurated to perpetuate his memory.