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Interview Portuguese Spanish    
Year 7 - N° 314 – June 2, 2013
ORSON PETER CARRARA 
orsonpeter@yahoo.com.br 
Matão, São Paulo (Brasil)
 
Translation
Leonardo Rocha - l.rocha1989@gmail.com


Maria Túlia Bertoni: 

“Our main challenge at the moment is to get fellow Spiritists to understand the role of our Federation” 

The president of the Spiritist Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul talks about the Spiritist Movement in the Brazilian state 

Born in a Spiritist family, Maria Túlia Bertoni (photo) is a professional musician. She has a degree in Music and teaches at conservatories. But in this interview she talks about her role as president of the Spiritist Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul state: 
 

First of all, tell us a bit about Mato Grosso do Sul. 

Matro Grosso do Sul is in the central part of Brazil and became a state on October 11th 1977 (when it was split in two from old Mato Grosso state). There are 79 municipalities in the state and the latest census says it has a population of 2,449,340, with 85.4% of the people living in urban areas. 

When was the Spiritist Federation of Mato Grosso do Sul founded? 

After the creation of the new state, on 31st March 1979. 

Who were the pioneers of Spiritism in the region? 

The first Spiritist group of what is now Mato Grosso do Sul was founded in 1914, in the city of Ladário, in the region known as Pantanal. For Spiritists in the states, a crucial role was played by Maria Edwiges Borges, who was involved in Spiritism in the state before its division and was one of the founders of the Spiritist Federation of Matro Grosso in 1956. She became later the first president of the Mato Grosso do Sul Federation and was our president for 18 years, until 1997. Maria Edwiges was also founder of the first Spiritist Centre of Campo Grande, “Discípulos de Jesus” (or “Disciples of Jesus”), where our Federation was based for first 20 years of its existence.  

How many Spiritist Groups are there in the state? 

The latest figures, from 2012, show that we have 200 Groups across the state, 111 of them being members of the Federation. To reach out all those Groups, the Federation has set up 10 Spiritist Regional Unions, whose members are elected locally. The Federation gets together with them and set up priorities and a yearly schedule of courses, seminars etc. These are great opportunities for sharing experiences and knowledge. 

What are the main challenges you face in this process of integration? 

I can say we have overcome most of the challenges. But in some cases, our main challenge at the moment is to get fellow Spiritists to understand the role of our Federation, which is to promote the union of all Spiritists and the Unification of the Spiritist Movement. 

What was the highlight of your experience as president of the Federation? 

I can say it was the construction of our own building, our own headquarters, which coincided with the Federation’s silver jubilee. After 25 years, we, the Spiritists of Mato Grosso do Sul, finally gained our own address, our own place, which has helped us achieve better integration and strengthen Spiritism in the state.  

Are there any events coming up that you would like to draw attention to? 

In April 2014, it will be the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Gospel According to Spiritism. To mark such an important date, the Brazilian Spiritist Federation (FEB) has decided to have the IV Brazilian Spiritist Congress hosted simultaneously by four state capitals: Vitória, João Pessoa, Manaus and Campo Grande, the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul. Being chosen to co-host the event is a great joy but also brings us huge responsibility. 

Anything else you would like to add? 

I thank you for the invitation for this interview, which has given us the opportunity to show a bit of the work the Federation has been carrying out in Mato Grosso do Sul. May Jesus bless each one of us, workers in His field, giving us courage, force and perseverance to carry on with the task of disseminating Spiritism.



 


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