Espírita. This has been created in July 1990 and is one of the topics discussed at this interview. 

O Consolador: How did you become spiritist?  

Thanks to my mother, who found Spiritism as a way to learn more about the spiritual challenges my father was facing. They then found out it happened due to his mediumship. When I was 9 years old I started to go to the spiritist centre Centro Espírita Luz e Verdade.

At the time, the children stayed with one lady whilst the parents joined the studies at the centre. Unfortunately, spiritist education for children was not available there. When I was 12 years old, I started to go to a Spiritist Education group for Youth called Mocidade Espírita Hilário. This is where I strengthened my knowledge on Spiritism. I coordinated this group for a few years later on.  

O Consolador: Can you please tell us more about the city of Marília? 

Marília is a pleasant city a region called Alta Paulista, São Paulo. It has about 200 thousand people. The economy is based mainly on the food industry, but it is a very dynamic market. It has important Universities located there. It has a very warm climate, but with a nice draught of air in the evenings. 

O Consolador: How is the spiritist movement in Marília? 

It goes through a good period, thanks to the change in dynamics that happened four years ago. A group of colleagues, lead by Mara Vanin, assumed the coordination of our local Union of Spiritist Societies.   

O Consolador: Is the Marília’ Spiritist Hospital under spiritist orientation?  

Yes, it is. It is a psychiatric hospital with spiritist orientation. Besides the financial challenges, the management team and the volunteers work hard to get the funds needed to maintain the service going on. The money funded by Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS) is not enough to cover all fixed costs. In regards to spiritist teachings, the patients have the opportunity to take part on meetings about the Gospel and receive healing. Mediumship meetings also take place within the hospital. 

O Consolador: How many spiritist institutions exist in the city?  

There are 26 spiritist institutions in the city. From which 2 look after children and adolescence, 2 for elderly people, a psychiatric hospital, a primary school, a University and a public spiritist library. The other institutions are spiritist centres. The local Union of Spiritist Societies has been helping the spiritist centres. Every four months there is a meeting with all Presidents in place. This has contributed to get a better exchange of experiences amongst these groups. As a result, there is a bigger participation of spiritist centres’ members at events organised by the local Union of Spiritist Societies.  

O Consolador: What are the most expressive events on the spiritist movement nowadays?  

Our local Union of Spiritist Societies had very intense 4 years full of activities. Lectures have been promoted with renowned spiritists such as José Medrado, Adenaer Novaes, Cajazeiras, Plinio Oliveira and Moacir Lima. In January 2008, for instance, we had a seminar with Divaldo Pereira Franco that attracted a massive audience from the region. We have also organised a series of seminars around mediumship and hosted a Meeting for Youth Spiritists of the Northwest Region (COMENOESP).  

We organised the Spiritist Book Fair Chico Xavier, which was help inside a shopping centre and had really good results. In April we hosted the Spiritist Month 2009, which was really successful. It had present Suely Caldas Schubert, Plinio Oliveira, Orson Peter Carrara and Francisco do Espírito Santo Neto. In June, AJE (Spiritist-Law Association) and Fundação Eurípides promoted the event A Caminho da Paz. We had a lecture from Dr. Izaias Claro and presentation of Chorus Coral Harmonia. We are also organising the AME congress -São Paulo for this coming August. (N.R.: This interview was done before the congress was held.).  

O Consolador: Have these events influenced the spiritist movement in Marília nowadays?  

Marília always had an important role in the spiritist movement. The local Union of Spiritist Societies started in this city. Marília hosted the only Spiritist Meeting for Youth in Brazil and also several or Regional Spiritist Meetings. The Spiritist Book Club was born here, led by José de Oliveira Reis Filho.  

O Consolador: What are the tools used to disclose Spiritism to the general public?  

We have the book club, which is maintained by the spiritist centre Centro Espírita Luz e Verdade. We also have the TV program Luz e Vida, which is transmitted via cable and presented by a group of spiritists. We also have a column at the local newspaper in our town, which is maintained by one of our colleagues. We had a radio programme, which was interrupted unfortunately.

O Consolador: Has the city location helped to integrate it with the other cities and towns?  

Marília has small towns on its surroundings. Our Union of Spiritist Societies in Marília is combined with the cities Vera Cruz and Pompeia. We are also connected to the region of Garça and Tupã. There is a very good interaction and exchange among these cities, through events, lectures and seminars. There is an annual meeting for workers, which alternates between these three cities. The results have been really good, and the relationships and exchanges are much closer now than they used to be.  

O Consolador: Can you please tell us about your experience around the newspaper Ação Espírita? 

I have also found communication an interesting field to work on within Spiritism. When I was involved with Spiritist Education group for Youth, I worked on a newsletter called “Eu”. I was responsible for a Bulletin when I was working as Secretary for UNIME, which was distributed to all spiritist centres in the city.  

When I worked in Adamantina, a newspaper needed to be created to help the spiritist movement in the region become more dynamic. In July 1990, we created Ação Espírita. It is an independent newspaper aiming to disclose Spiritism. It was then transferred to Marília in 2005, when I moved to this city. We proceed with the same objectives, divulging spiritist teachings and the Spiritist Movement. It is published every 3 months, and 2.000 pieces are distributed free of charge throughout Brazil. 

O Consolador: Is there anything else you would like to add? 

In this transactional period I hope we can maintain serenity and piece. Let us have Jesus as our guide and Kardec as our Master. Let us bring the spiritist message forward since we need its lessons of hope and consolation.