Manoel Sampaio Junior (photo) was born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. He graduated in English Language and Literature and is a Teaching Methodology expert in the state capital, Vitória, where he now lives. He is also a public speaker and a member of the Allan Kardec Spiritist Centre in the nearby city of Guarapari. In the following interview he speaks about the remarkable influence he received from his father, a pioneer Spiritist, and the acts of kindness and dedication that he experienced during his childhood:  

What does Spiritism mean in your life? 

I was born into a Spiritist family. My father, Manuel Sampaio Netto, and my mother, Norma Santana Sampaio, were members of the first Spiritist Youth Group of the state of Espírito Santo. That’s where they met in 1952. Spiritism always had a strong connection, for me, to the ideas of family and heritage. It’s as though it was part of our DNA. My family’s journey into the world of Spiritism began with my great grandfather, Pedro da Rocha Costa, a dedicated Spiritist. I can’t even imagine being affiliated to another religion, another philosophy or way of life. The gratitude I have for Spiritism is the same gratitude that I have for my ancestors, for my parents. Spiritism is part of my way of thinking, even though I’m still a long way from fully putting its noble teachings into practice.     

What was the life example you had from your father regarding the Spiritist teachings?

My father was an extraordinary man. When he was about 17 years old, his mind was bombarded by philosophical questions over the purpose and meaning of human existence. He believed that life had a lot more to offer other than what he saw and experienced in his daily routine. He began to question whether life was only about working, studying and practising sports. Perhaps human beings had a greater mission in life, he wondered. From then on, he never stopped. Until he was very old and no longer fully mobile, he used to go out almost daily to help other people in every possible way. My father also had a great musical intelligence and he played the piano and the guitar by ear. And he published two Christian-Spiritist books. 

What in particular impressed you the most in your father’s life of dedication to Spiritism? 

I experienced daily and constant admiration for my father, especially for his tireless efforts to help other people. When he was still a young man, he helped build the Children’s Hospital of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, along with a group of other Spiritist people. They also organised a food bank and did home visits to people in need. That went on until his old age. He never stopped. When he moved to Guarapari, he founded the city’s Spiritist Centre and was faced with a great deal of prejudice and disdain from many people there. That group of volunteers also managed to open a nursery for children of poor families. What really fascinated me about my father was his determination to be present at several Spiritist Centres, to make sure that they continued to operate even when facing serious problems. He founded several Spiritist Centres. He worked hard, dealt with the paperwork and also promoted talks and events. He used to say: “Founding a Spiritist Centre is laudable; keeping it open is challenging.”

Is there anything else from that period that you would like to share with our readers? 

I remember clearly my father’s struggle to open a Spiritist Centre in the city of Guarapari. Next to the plot of land they bought for the construction of the Spiritist Centre building, there was a private nursery and the owner used the area as a playground. My father asked her to remove the playground equipment and she agreed. They set a date and my father hired a few men to help him. To everyone’s surprise, she invited a newspaper photographer. On the following day, the local paper spread the following headline on its front page: “Mr Sampaio and his thugs destroy school playground.” He had a hard time overcoming that situation, which ended up involving lawyers and the police. But it was all resolved in the end. The school director apologised and the building project went ahead. I was very young at the time, but that really had an impact on me. I worried a lot about my father, as his reputation was temporarily tainted. He eventually went over it with a great deal of patience and faith. 

What are your thoughts on the development of Spiritist ideas? 

I think we don’t yet value Spiritist and non-Spiritist art as we should. It’s undeniable that there’s been progress. I don’t want to sound nostalgic, saying that everything was better in my days. But I have to say that I don’t observe much enthusiasm from young people towards volunteer work and I don’t think either that we are forming and training many Spiritist speakers. On the other hand, I’m happy to see the development we have experienced on social media and the internet. We have so many online talks and activities now, and volunteer workers have been making such good use of the internet to disseminate the Teachings. 

What message would you like to send to the Spiritists of today?