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Manuel Felipe
Menezes da Silva
Junior:
“I am really
impressed by the
love and
fraternity that
come from our
volunteer
workers”
The president of
the Spiritist
Federation of
Amapá state in
Brazil’s Amazon
region talks
about the work
that is being
carried
out to
disseminate Spiritism in the
state
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Manuel Felipe
Menezes da Silva
Junior
(photo), a
Spiritist since
1987, is the
President of the
Spiritst
Federation of
Amapá state. He
was born and
brought up in
the state
capital, Macapá,
where he is a
State
Prosecutor. In
this interview
he talks about
the Spiritist
Movement in
Amapá, which has
very unique
aspects:
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Let’s begin by
telling our
readers a bit
more about
Amapá. |
Amapá is on the
northeast of
Brazil, in the
country’s Amazon
region,
bordering
Suriname and
French Guyana on
the north and
the Atlantic
Ocean on the
east.
When was the
Spiritist
Federation of
Amapá (FEAP)
founded?
It was founded
in 1960, when
there was still
great
intolerance
against
Spiritism. Its
founders were
the late couple,
Luiz Gonzaga
Pereira de Souza
and Clmentina
Soares de Souza.
Our website is
www.feamapa.com.br.
There are now 11
Spiritist Groups
and Centres
affiliated to
the Federation.
Tell us a bit
more about
Spiritism in the
state of Amapá.
There are
Spiritist
Centres in seven
of the 16
municipalities
of Amapá. Most
of them are
small groups
with a few rooms
for meetings and
a lecture room.
I remember once,
in 2001, when I
gave a talk in
the Spiritist
Centre Chico
Xavier, in the
town of Laranjal
do Jari, in the
heart of the
Amazon forest.
The Centre used
the facilities
at the back of a
restaurant, a
room of no more
than 7 square
metres. It was
touching to see
how engaged the
few people
present – most
of them humble
residents –
were. On the
background, we
could hear
native birds
singing next to
the window, like
true witnesses
of nature
admiring
Spiritism in
action.
How did your
recent
conference go?
We had 680
people who were
registered,
coming from four
of our
municipalities
and from two
other states(1).
My assessment of
the event was
positive, as it
gathered people
from different
areas. They were
able to meet and
exchange their
experiences. It
was a cheerful,
fraternal and
productive
meeting. Our
next congress
will he held in
the second half
of 2016.
What is the
Federation’s
main goal?
Our main goal is
to disseminate
Spiritism,
helping set up
new Spiritist
Groups outside
the capital, and
also to help
existing
Spiritist Groups
to improve the
quality of their
services. We
also run an
institution next
to our
headquarters to
help 30
low-income
families. The
project is run
in partnership
with the Lar
Fabiano de
Cristo, from Rio
de Janeiro.
How do you help
disseminate
Spiritism in
Macapá?
We publicise the
Teachings during
our events and
by selling
Spiritist books
in our
headquarters. We
also have brief
slots in three
radio stations
and two
television
channels. They
allow us to use
those slots,
which are like
commercial
breaks, free of
charge.
Is there
anything in
particular that
you would like
to share with
us?
I have been with
the Federation
for 25 years and
I am really
impressed by the
love and
fraternity that
come from our
volunteer
workers. That
creates an
atmosphere of
harmony and
encourages us to
carry on with
our work.
Another
remarkable
aspect is the
growing number
of people
attending our
meetings and our
courses.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
I must thank God
for the blessing
that Spiritism
is in our lives
and for the
blessed work
that pushes
forward towards
our moral
development.
(1) The Fourth
Spiritist
Congress of
Amapá was held
between 28th
and 30th
November 2014 at
the Bacabeiras
Theatre. Its
main theme was
“The Gospel
According to
Spiritism: 150
years consoling
heart and
illuminating
consciences”.
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