Vânia Zechner:  

“Spiritism is the air I breathe” 

Our fellow Spiritist based in Austria for more than 20 years tells us how GEEAK-Austria was founded and talks about the development of the Spiritist Movement in Austrian lands

 

	Vânia Cristina Gomes Zechner (photo) was born in a Spiritist family in the Brazilian city of Olinda, in Pernambuco state. She has lived in Austria for more than 20 yeas and began spreading the seeds of Spiritism there over 15 years ago. Vânia is a teacher with a degree in Physical Education. In this interview, she shares her views and experiences in
the Spiritist Movement:

What was the main reason for you to leave Brazil and settle in Austria? 

It all began in 1990, in my hometown, Olinda, when I met Peter Zechner. With him I got to know the lovely Austrian lands as well as his amazing family. We got married in 1992 and, with my son Roberto, moved to Vorarlberg, Austria. 

Were you familiar with Spiritism then? 

Yes. Spiritism had been a part in my life in Brazil. Thanks to my beloved mother we were all blessed with the opportunity of attending a Spiritist Centre as children and teenagers. We also practised the Gospel in the Home. I realise now how important our Spiritist practices were in my life and certainly in the lives of our brothers and sisters too. 

Tell us about the history of GEEAK-Austria and your role in the group. 

It all began in 1997 with weekly meetings at a dear friend’s house, in the city of Dornbirn. Some members of that small group joined the following year CEAAK, the Centre of Spiritist Studies Allan Kardec, in the city of Winterthur, in Switzerland. It became a reference for the whole group. In 2001, we rented our first room. The place we chose was the city of Wolfurt. Our dear friend Edith Burkhard joined the group around that time, which was a big boost for all of us. In 2004, the group moved to Hoechst and one of the members generously offered a room rent-free. That was very important and helped the group a great deal, as we know that one of the biggest challenges for small Spiritist Groups in Europe is raising money to pay the rent. Also in 2004, we welcomed Divaldo Franco and Nilson Pereira in our group for the first time. They gave us important advice and spread their seeds of light through these lands. The following year, 2005, was a very important one. We found the ideal place for our meetings, and as it happened it was in the same city where we had begun our studies. GEEAK moved then to the city of Dornbirn, where it stayed for 3 years. In 2006, more members joined the group and we began having talks and lectures in German as well as Portuguese. We also began our children activities, including the preparation for Evangelisation courses. The group was formally registered according to Austrian legislation in 2008 and we finally got an exclusive room for our activities. Two years later, we expanded our facilities to three rooms. I am the group’s president and have been learning a great deal. Our group is very united. We are like a true family, with every one doing all they can to love and help each other. The group carries on with its aim of improving in the activities it provides and following the principles of Love and Fraternity that Jesus taught us and lived. We are hugely grateful for all the blessings we have received along the years. With the protection of the higher powers and the dedication of all the workers, our work goes on… 

The Spiritist Movement has been growing steadily in Brazil. How is it developing in Austria? And what work does GEEAK to do help disseminate the Teachings? 

I believe that everything has its own rhythm and Spiritism teaches us that evolution does not happen in a day. Brazil, as we know, has the blessed task of strengthening and helping disseminate the Spiritist Teachings. In Europe, Spiritism faced huge challenges. We have been trying to disseminate the message of love from Jesus by taking active part in the society where we live now. We also encourage all members of GEEAK to live the Teachings and put them into practice in their daily lives. 

What are the main challenges you face? 

We have challenges that we see as great opportunities to learn: the language, the adaptation to the culture and the small number of volunteer workers. But all those challenges can be overcome if we work together. 

How many Spiritist Centres and Groups are there in Austria today? How is the Spiritist Movement developing? 

There are four groups in Austria: three in the capital, Vienna, and one in Vorarlberg, an Austrian state that borders Germany and Switzerland. On top of the regular activities of each Group we are now in the third edition of the Austrian Fraternal Meeting. Our aim is to encourage the fraternal links between all the groups in the country, putting into practice what our Master Jesus proposed more than 2,000 years ago: “Love one another as I have loved you.” We are still walking our first steps, but my assessment of the Spiritist Movement in Austria is very positive. 

In Austria, abortion is legal and there are efforts to legalise cannabis. What is your opinion on those issues? 

I am really sorry about that, but I believe such initiatives will cease being part of our societies one day when they understand the importance of valuing life and human beings. Ethic and moral values are still dismissed by many of us. But I see Spiritism as an endless source to guide us, helping make us better men and women. We need to do our part in our family, professional and social lives, educating our children so that they become the agents of transformation. 

Your final thoughts, please. 

I would like to express my gratitude to the Lord of Life for providing us with so many blessings, to Jesus for His example of love and to Spiritism, which makes me stronger every day. I consider it the air that I breathe and GEEAK, a safe harbour in my life. With gratitude, I wish all of you peace and joy of living.

Editor’s Note:

To find out more about the history of the Spiritist Movement in Austria, read the article O Semeador saiu a semear… published on edition number 59. Here is the link: http://www.oconsolador.com.br/ano2/59/especial2.html.