Valentim Aparecido
Fernandes:
“We can always do a bit
more”
The fellow Spiritist
from São Paulo state
talks about his early
days in the Spiritist
Movement and the many
years of dedicated work
at the Clarin publishing
house, founded in the
city of Matão by one of
the pioneers of
Spiritism in Brazil
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Valentim Aparecido
Fernandes (photo)
has worked at the Clarin
publishing house for 30
years. He is a volunteer
worker at two Spiritist
Centres in the city of
Matão. Valentim
Fernandes became a
Spiritist in 1989 and is
now a public speaker and
the coordinator of the
programme of talks and
public lectures at the
two Centres. He
has an important
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experience in
the Spiritist
Movement,
particularly in
what concerns
efforts to unify
the Teachings.
And that is one
of the main
themes of this
interview: |
When and how did you
find Spiritism?
My first contact with
the Teachings was in
1980, when I was still
dating my current wife,
Fátima. She was a medium
and the first signs of
her mediumship began to
emerge. Following some
friends’ advice, we
looked for assistance at
a Spiritist Centre, but
we did not persevere. I
believe now that we were
not prepared then to
come into proper contact
with the Teachings. In
October 1981 I got a job
in the layout department
of the Spiritist
Publishing House Clarin.
My job required that I
read all the works and I
began to connect to the
message, especially the
books of Cairbar
Schutel. I began to
attend meetings at a
Spiritist Centre now
renamed as O Clarim, but
it was only in 1989,
when my wife’s
mediumship came up
again, that I got
engaged in regular
volunteer work and got
fully engaged in the
Spiritist Movement. I
often say that I owe my
involvement in Spiritism
to her mediumship.
What is the main lesson
you have learned after
working for three
decades in the
publishing house founded
by Cairbar Schutel
(-- a pharmacist and
politician from Rio de
Janeiro who moved to
Matão and became a
Spiritist in the
beginning of the XX
Century, discarnating in
1938, aged 69)?
The possibility of
getting to know well the
work of the “Pioneer of
Spiritism,” to come into
contact with his work,
the challenges of his
time and the
enterprising character
of this amazing
avant-garde Spirit. We
face a big challenge in
Brazil, as we compete in
a market where new
Spiritist books are
published all the time.
Most of them are good
and follow the
principles of Spiritism,
but they are aimed at
making a profit. We need
to work hard and
persevere, in order to
keep up with the new
technologies and survive
in the face of the all
the novelties in the
market. With all that
around us, I have been
obliged to keep a close
eye on all the
developments of the
Brazilian Spiritist
Movement.
What is the main lesson
you have drawn from so
many years of
experience, which can be
used to help strengthen
the Spiritist Movement?
All the departments
working towards the
unification of Spiritism
play a very important
role. I have seen, in 21
years of meetings at a
municipal and state
level, that so many
people continue to work
hard to achieve a
greater union in the
Spiritist Movement. The
main lesson I have drawn
is that we can always do
a bit more, even when
facing difficult
problems and challenges
or even when our aims
appear to be still out
of reach. “A little bit
is better than nothing,”
used to say my dear
friend José Antônio
Castilho.
Is there a particular
event during all your
years in the Spiritist
Movement in Matão that
you would like to
highlight?
There have been many
events, but I would
highlight the tributes
paid to Cairbar Schutel
during the events to
mark the 100th
anniversary of Matão, on
August 29th
and 30th.
Spiritist leaders from
the whole of the State
of São Paulo came to
Matão. Wherever we go
and mention Matão, other
Spiritists immediately
mention the Pioneer of
Spiritism.
Tell us a bit more about
your work in scheduling
the programme of talks
and lectures at the
Spiritist Centres O
Clarin and Allan Kardec.
I really enjoy this job
as it enables me to get
in touch with public
speakers from other
cities and also to learn
a great deal. We are now
in a position where we
can attract some of the
best-known names in
Spiritism. The aim is
not to have a full
house, which of course
happens in many
occasions, but rather to
show how great Spiritism
is and to encourage
those who are beginning
as public speakers, to
show that they can go a
long way if they work
hard, study and
prepare.
What is your assessment
of the Spiritist
Movement in Brazil? What
are we lacking?
The Spiritist Movement
is growing fast in
Brazil. We have more and
better events –
congresses, seminars and
meetings where we debate
the Teachings in a very
open manner. That is
very positive, but I
believe those who are
not able to take part in
such events should also
have the possibility of
joining the debate.
Those who attend such
events should carry on
the debate in their
Groups and Centres. We
need to spread the light
to everyone.
As a public speaker you
can probably make a good
assessment of the
reaction of the public
in many parts of São
Paulo state. What are
your most lively
memories of such
meetings?
I feel the public is
more and more focused on
the content of the
talks. The feedback and
participation are very
positive. Most Spiritist
Groups provide good
video and audio
resources. Spiritists
are no longer going to
talks just for the
healing that comes at
the end of the event,
but to look for answers
to their questions, for
informations that will
help them face the
challenges of their
daily lives in a more
peaceful manner.
Your final thoughts,
please.
The Spiritist Movement,
as I said, is made of
idealists. Let us not
let this idealism die
down as we go along the
way, facing a number of
problems, including the
difference in opinion
between different
volunteer workers. Let
us unite around our
shared values and
respect our differences.
