A Spiritist since the age of 14, Cesar Sátiro dos Santos (photo), was an active member of the Spiritist Movement in the Brazilian city of Catanduva (State of São Paulo) until he moved to Sherbrooke, in Canada, more than a decade ago. He works there as a Chemistry teacher. He is also the current president of Centre Spirite Chico Xavier, in Sherbrooke.

How did you become a Spiritist?

It was when I read the book, Our Home - Nosso Lar, dictated by the Spirit, André Luiz, to the medium, Chico Xavier. It simply woke up something inside me. As I read the book, I had the clear impression that I knew everything that was being described… especially the umbral [an area of suffering where some Spirits spend time in the Spirit World]!

How is it the experience of living in Canada?

It is difficult in the beginning, as there is so much to learn. As I didn’t speak the language properly, I went through some difficult or funny situations. Canada is a very organised country, with no violence, where the government works and encourages you to study and work. I like it here, but I, of course, miss my family and friends. I have been working as a Chemistry teacher since 2009.

Tell us about the city where you live.

It is called Sherbrooke, it has 160,000 inhabitants and lies 150km from Montreal, near the border with the US state of Vermont. It is a beautiful city, with two universities and three colleges and it is in a region with lots of green and great lakes, which attracts many tourists.

How is the Spiritist Movement in the country?

It has been growing steadily thanks to the efforts of very dedicated people, like Erick Meneghini Martins, who lives in Calgary. He is the president of the Canadian Spiritist Counsel and has done a beautiful job. There are about 20 Spiritist Groups in the whole of Canada, not to mention those that gather only at home. Some of the main ones are Justiça, Amor e Caridade – Justice, Love and Charity (JAC) in Montreal and Québec’s Allan Kardec Spiritist Centre (CEAK). With a group of friends, I founded Centre Spirite Chico Xavier, in the Estrie region of Québec. Canada is a country of 35 million people and there is certainly a great deal yet to be done here for the Spiritist Movement.  

Are these groups attended only by Brazilians?

The vast majority of those attending are Brazilians. There is great resistance to any religious ideas in Québec and people look suspiciously at you should you only mention the name of Jesus. I have experienced that. We will need patience and we will need to reintroduce Jesus to them in the light of Spiritism, which rescued him from the ruins of history. That is a Jesus Christ they don’t know! We will be patient, as I think it is unacceptable to omit the religious aspect of Spiritism only to adapt to the demands of the local population.

How do you adapt your activities to a country with two official languages, especially for study groups?

The Spiritist Centres I know work in Portuguese and in the local language. We use English and Portuguese on one side and French and Portuguese on the other side.

Tell us about your channel, which has talks and lectures in French.

My channel is called Cesar S Santos. It is in Portuguese, but I have a playlist in French. My goal is to continue to add material that explains the principles of Spiritism and how to apply them to our lives. I also have a Facebook page (Na Visão Espírita) and a Facebook page for the Spiritist Centre (Centre Spirite Chico Xavier) in French. Our website is chicoxavier.ca and our aim is to carry on with the work with more and more determination.

What is your main memory of the Spiritist Movement in Brazil?

Chico Xavier! Happy are those who were able to see that behind that figure of simple, humble person was the apostle of Christ in Brazil – the land of the cross.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

To be a Spiritist is at the same time a blessing and a big responsibility. Brazil has been blessed by the Higher Spirits as the hosts of their project to reintroduce the true values of Christianity on the planet. Only that explains the presence of so many Spirits of Light in our country since the 19^th century, including Cairbar Schutel, Eurípedes Barsanulfo, Bezerra de Menezes, Aura Celeste, Yvonne Pereira and so many others. Most of all, a country where someone like Chico Xavier is born can certainly count itself as blessed by Jesus Christ. And we should make a concerted effort to match that privilege/responsibility.