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Márcio Peres
Hungria is a
spiritist
lecturer and
columnist, who
was born to a
spiritist family
in Niterói. He
tells us here
about the
spiritist centre
he opened
recently and his
plans for the
future.
O Consolador:
The spiritist
movement has
reason to
celebrate the
opening of yet
another centre,
in an tribute to
the great medium
Chico Xavier.
Give us first
the directions
to the group.
The Nucle
Espirita Chico
Xavier (NECX) is
based in our
home in Niterói
– Rua Antonio
Augusto da Paz,
60, Piratininga,
Niteroi. You can
get more
information on
the website:
http://necx-espiritismo.blogspot.com
or phone us on +
55 21 88815709.
O Consolador:
How did you have
the
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idea of opening
the group? |
It was an old
project of my
parents´,
Fernando and
Yeda Hungria,
which comes from
their first
visits to the
city of Uberaba,
in the 1970´s,
to the late
friend and
medium Chico
Xavier. But the
project really
gained force
once we began to
have healing
meetings at my
brother´s home,
from 2003, with
the
participation of
the medium,
Lívio Rocha
Barbosa. In
2005, we began
to have weekly
meetings in my
home to study
The Spirits´Book
and The Gospel
According to
Spiritism.
Initially, it
was only a
meeting of
family and
friends. But the
group grew,
moved by the
will to help,
study and live
the spiritist
message. With a
growing number
of people who
were keen to
find out more
about the
Doctrine, we
allocated an
area in the
house – the
third floor –
with some 60
seats, for the
studies. Once we
achieved our
original goals –
to understand
and publicise
the spiritist
message – we
decide to go one
step further and
create an
official group.
And I can only
help the support
of all of those
involved in that
process.
O Consolador: Do
you also carry
out social and
charity work,
helping the poor
in your area?
A true spiritist
institution must
provide both
spiritual and
material
assistance. The
spiritist motto
reads “there´s
no salvation
without
charity”, and we
certainly try to
provide help. We
have a Sewing
Workshop, called
Cidália Batista,
where we make
baby clothes,
handing out
around ten kits
a month to local
pregnant women,
with all they
will need for
the newborn
babies.
O Consolador:
What is your
schedule of
activities at
the group?
We had to adapt
our schedule to
the constraints
of being in a
residential
zone. We have
our study group
on Sundays,
lectures by
spiritist
speakers every
two months,
spiritual
healings once a
month and our
sewing workshop
every Friday.
O Consolador:
Have you been
advised by your
spiritual
mentors on what
activities to
carry out?
Not directly.
However we know
we have been
guided and
supported by the
spiritual world
in the big
decisions. We´ve
taken all the
decisions in
this group step
by step, moving
forward as we
reached a new
level and felt
comfortable to
face new
challenges.
O Consolador:
How was the
opening night of
your group?
It was a
memorable night,
on April 25th
of this year. We
had about 160
people in the
main room and
outside, where
they followed
the ceremony
through a big
screen. I
highlight the
presences of
Eurípedes Higino
dos Reis, the
adoptive son of
Chico Xavier; of
the author
Geraldo Lemos
Neto; of Neuza
de Assis, who
also came from
Uberaba; and of
the choir Maria
de Magdala, who
harmonized the
atmosphere with
their beautiful
voices. Geraldo
Lemos Neto, or
Geraldinho,
spoke about the
captivating
personality of
Chico Xavier and
his vital role
in the
development of
Spiritism.
Eurípedes was
interviewed by
Yeda Hungria and
told us
anecdotes in the
life of the
great human
being, Chico
Xavier,
highlighting his
greatness of
character. Yeda
reminded us that
Chico was about
simplicity and
humility and
that his example
should be
followed by all
spiritist
groups,
especially if
they want to
engage with the
poorer extracts
of our society.
O Consolador:
Any special
meaning in the
date you chose
for the opening,
25th
April?
Absolutely.
April is very
special month
for the world´s
spiritist
movement. We´re
celebrating this
year in Brazil
what would be
Chico Xavier 100th
birthday, on
April 2nd.
That´s when he
was born, as
Francisco de
Paula Cândido in
the town of
Pedro Leopoldo,
in Minas Gerais.
On April 1st
1858, we had the
establishment of
the first
spiritist group
anywhere in the
world, the SPEE
(Parisian
Society of
Spiritist
Studies). The
first editon of
The Spiritis´
Book was
published on
April 18th
1857. And the
first edition of
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism, still
with its initial
title of
Imitation of the
Gospel, was also
published in
April – on the
15th
day of the
month, in 1864.
O Consolador:
What are your
plans for the
future?
We plan to set
up regular study
groups of the
books written in
trance by Chico
Xavier,
especially the
series of books
by Andre Luiz on
the life in the
spiritual world.
We plan to
record DVDs with
the lectures we
host every other
month and
distribute them
free of charge.
And we plan to
set up groups of
evangelical
studies for
children.
O Consolador:
What else would
you like to add?
Historically,
Spiritism had
its genesis at
the heart of
family units.
Professor Rivail
(AKA Allan
Kardec) took
part in several
meetings at the
homes of the
Palinemaisons,
the Baudins and
the Roustans,
before founding
the SPEE, which
became the
example to
follow for so
many groups that
would be set up
in France and
other countries.
In the beginning
of the twentieth
century in
Brazil, valuable
hearts opened
their homes for
the study of
Spiritism in the
quiet of the
night. Spiritism
was then
misunderstood
and often
attacked. Many
of those family
reunions became
institutions
that are still
going on. Our
group, NECX, has
followed a
similar path,
moved by an
ideal cultivated
for a long
time.
O Consolador:
Your final
words, please.
I would like to
express my
gratitude to all
of those who
took part,
directly or
indirectly, in
realising this
project. I’d
like to thank my
parents,
relentless in
their efforts to
raise their
family according
to spiritist
values, and a
special thank
you to my wife,
Lucia, the
determined
companion of
every hour.
