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Cleusa Conceição Terres
Schuch (photo), a
retired manager for the
Brazilian National
Health System (INSS),
has a passion for
education. She has a
Master Degree and is
currently doing a PhD in
Education. She is the
president of the
Spiritist Union in the
city of Guaíba, in the
southern Brazilian state
of Rio Grande do Sul. In
this interview, she
shares with us her views
on education and
Spiritism:
When and why did you go
to a Spiritist Centre
for the first time?
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I was about 9 and my
mother took me because I
was ill and they
prescribed homeopathy
there at the time. The
Spiritist Centre I went
to – Sociedade Espírita
Discípulos de Cristo
(Disciples of Christ) is
the same one where I now
work as a volunteer,
teaching the principles
of Spiritism, doing
counselling and also
delivering speeches and
lectures. |
How important is it to
get the different
Spiritist Groups to work
together under one
banner?
When you integrate the
various groups, you have
the opportunity to get
to know other people, to
make friends, to share
experiences and learn
virtues such as
patience, tolerance,
forgiving each other’s
faults. You also develop
a feeling of belonging
to the Spiritist
Movement.
What can be done to make
Spiritist Centres more
dynamic, in order to
attract young people?
The evangelisation
programme, the education
of children and
teenagers at the
Spiritist Centre, must
be sound, dynamic and
carried out with love.
Anything done with love
has a unique persuasive
power.
How do you get motivated
to prepare and deliver
speeches and lectures?
My biggest motivation is
believing that people
can improve and be
enlightened by
education. Words can
touch the hearts of
those in need of console
and peace, but they must
be the right words and
come from the bottom of
one’s heart. Knowing
that whenever we do some
good we are the ones who
benefit the most also
motivates me.
How do you raise funds
for the services
provided by the
Spiritist Centre?
We do a yearly fund
raising tea party that
allows us to buy all the
text books and take part
in regional events for
young people.
How relevant is it the
managerial abilities of
Spiritist managers, of
those managing Spiritist
Centres, in the face of
all the legal
requirements in place
these days?
A well qualified
Spiritist manager or
director is in a better
position to face the
challenges ahead and to
get a broader picture of
what he or she is likely
to face. We must bear in
mind that any Spiritist
Centre has to follow the
rules and the law of
where it’s based.
What is the main
obstacle to more people
becoming Spiritists?
I think it’s both
prejudice and the lack
of knowledge of what the
Spiritist teachings
really are. In many
cases, the Spiritist
Centres also have
restricted opening
hours, which makes it
difficult for people to
come to us. One of the
biggest challenges faced
by the Spiritist
Movement is to get bear
to all volunteers and
workers the idea that we
are all a big family,
that we must unite and
work together. That way
we will achieve more. We
must also promote more
training events, to
motivate, engage and
train all Spiritist
volunteers and those
studying the teachings.
Is there anything else
you would like to add?
I thank you for the
opportunity to
contribute somehow to
the beautiful job
carried out by this
magazine. I wish you
all, all your team,
peace, light and
protection!
