Remembering Adésio Alves Machado and his legacy in Spiritism

Leila Mansur Wermelinger (photo) is the coordinator of the 45th CEU Cantagalo (Unification Spiritist Council) in the Brazilian city of Cantagalo, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In this interview she talks about the work of her late husband, Adésio Alves Machado, a highly-regarded member of the Spiritist Movement who has left us a rich legacy:

Your husband, Adésio Alves Machado, and you lived many experiences together within the Spiritist Movement. When did he pass away and how many books did he publish?

Yes, indeed, we lived together so many experiences!! He passed away on July 2nd, 2009, having published four Spiritist books. 

And how did you meet? Were you both Spiritists when that happened? 

We met in March 1999 when, invited by me, he came to give a talk at a Spiritist Meeting in the city of Cordeiro. He had been a Spiritist for many years and I had joined only four years before. We lived together for 10 years. 

From all of those experiences you lived together, is there a particular one you would like to highlight? 

Throughout our Spiritist journey together, we’ve lived amazing moments, marked by lots of love and affection. One of them was the book-launch event of Adésio’s first publication: "Ser, Crer e Crescer - Elucidações para uma Vida Melhor" (To Be, to Believe and to Grow - Clarifications for a Better Life), which took place in the city of Nova Friburgo. At that occasion we had the opportunity to meet many dear friends and we had a remarkable book-signing evening. He made a great speech and I couldn’t hold the tears for long. 

How was Adésio’s work as a writer and public speaker? 

Adésio was always a dedicated researcher and scholar of Spiritism and for that reason his talks and lectures had a strong theoretical foundation, based on the books of Allan Kardec and other important publications. It was always good to hear his lectures and to read what he wrote based on his research and reflections. 

What would you say about the enthusiasm Adésio always showed concerning the dissemination of the Spiritist Teachings?

Your question reminds me of something that my father said on so many occasions: “During all the time Adésio lived here in Cantagalo (10 years), he was fully dedicated to the dissemination of Spiritism, giving lectures and talks and taking part in social projects.” For me it’s very difficult to select one single event or an area or work to highlight, as he was fully dedicated, heart and soul, to his work in Spiritism. He read and researched a lot, he travelled to neighbouring cities to take part in radio programmes, he gave countless talks and lectures and he created a social project to provide information to pregnant women. He also named Meimei Caravan a charity project that we did, along with a group of friends, at three poor communities in our region every Christmas Day. These memories will remain with me forever.

What do you think was his main legacy, considering his leadership and influence in the Spiritist Movement? 

How important and necessary it is to study Spiritism, with discipline, in order to find and understand the true meaning of the Teachings. That was what was about Adésio!

And, as a wife, how did you cope with his departure to the Spirit World? 

To lose him was very difficult initially, which I think is a normal reaction. I needed to carry on with our work, but as I was still working, I hadn’t yet retired at the time, I quickly realised that I wouldn’t be able to proceed with all the activities and commitments that he had within the Spiritist Movement. I must say that many times I cried… Because I missed him, because I was emotional, I felt powerless and also because I realised the magnitude of all that he had done and all that we had done together. As the days went by, I began receiving information about him in the Spirit World and that gave me the strength to carry on. And that’s how it goes. I continue to carry on!

What is your main priority in the Spiritist Movement now? 

I have focused on Spiritist education projects for our Cantagalo region (the 45th CEU), which continues to be done online despite the end of the coronavirus pandemic. During the pandemic many people joined us from other cities and even other Brazilian states and we’ve decided to continue with our courses online so they could remain with us. We have five online Study Groups, which give me a great deal of satisfaction. And believe me: many things have changed after Covid and they won’t go back to what they were before. 

Is there any memory of your time with Adésio that you are particularly fond of? 

There are so many memories… Of when we met in person for the first time, going back and forth for the monthly talks and lectures, the book-launches, the occasions when we entertained our dear friends at our house, the radio programmes, the tears of emotion in so many events, the special campaigns and, of course, the great joy of being together helping spread the Spiritist Teachings. These moments will remain forever in my mind and in my heart.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

I think I was able to sum up here the most memorable aspects of our lives together, emphasising the companionship that we enjoyed and our dedication to the work of Our Master Jessus. I’m grateful to the Spiritual Benefactor who inspired us along the 10 years we lived together. And I’m grateful for this opportunity to go, once again, through the period of my life that I spent with Adésio, when I learned so much. Life goes on on both sides of the world, the material and the spiritual realms. And I've been carrying on! We must all carry on! Thank you so much!