Arcoverde was born into a prominent family in Cimbres, province of Pernambuco, in the Northeast of Brazil. He showed an early vocation for the priesthood but the absence of local seminaries meant that he did all his studies prior to becoming a priest in Rome.
A prominent figure from Cimbres, province of Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil, Arcoverde was destined for the priesthood from an early age. However, due to the absence of local seminaries, he pursued his theological education in Rome before ordination.