Roberto
José Damasceno:
“Our Spiritist Week
events are eagerly
awaited by all
Spiritists in our
capital”
The
president of the Society
of Spiritist Studies
Brother Tomé, in
the
Brazilian city of Vitória, talks about the
Spiritist Week
events
organised by the Group
 |
Roberto José Damasceno (photo)
has been living in
Vitória, capital of
Brazil’s Espírito Santo
state, for 51 years. He
was born into a
Spiritist family on his
mother’s side, brought
into the teachings due
to two cases of
Spiritual obsession
among their relatives.
He is a retired
accountant and president
of the Society of Spiritist Studies
Brother Tomé. He
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has been a
volunteer worker
at the
organisation for
28 years and its
president since
2011. In this
interview he
gives an
overview on the Spiritist Week the Group
organises: |
How many Spiritist
organisations are there
in Vitória? What was the
first group founded in
the city?
We have now 18 Spiritist
Groups affiliated to the
Espírito Santo State
Federation. The first
group opened here was
the Henrique José de
Mello, more than 90
years ago, on November 2nd
1922.
What about the Brother
Tomé Group? When was it
founded?
On July 12th
1971 as a family group,
which began to hold the
meetings at home. Other
people joined them and
they eventually bought a
plot of land and built
the current building
where the Group meets.
What have you learned
from the experience of
organising the Spiritist
Week, now on its eighth
yearly edition?
The event began in 2006,
when I got in charge of
the Studies Department
and had the idea to
organise the Spiritist
Weeks in order to
disseminate the
Teachings. We had
initially speakers from
our state, Espírito
Santo, but in 2007 we
already had the first
guest speakers from
other areas. And some of
the best known Spiritist
speakers in Brazil have
come to our events over
the years.
How do you choose the
group of speakers every
year?
We need to have speakers
and themes that
encourage the
participation of a wider
public. That is why we
usually invite names who
will bring in bigger
crowds – both for their
knowledge of Spiritism
and for their appeal
with Spiritist audiences
across the country.
How many people usually
come to your study group
meetings and talks?
We get on average 130
people in the main room
for our regular talks
and lectures. The number
is higher, of course,
during the Spiritist
Week events.
What has been the best
memory of the event in
these past eight years?
I had many moments of
joy during those eight
events, as the number of
Spiritists taking part
increases every year. I
hope to be able to carry
on organising the event
every year, as it is
already part of the
Spiritist calendar of
the city of Vitória.
What is the public
reaction to the event?
What feedback do you
get?
There is huge response
to every single
Spiritist Week. People
come to me to praise the
speakers and the themes
chosen for discussion.
They also suggest new
names and new subjects
to be debated in future
events. The 9th
Spiritist Week of the
Brother Tomé Group will
take place between July
20th and 27th.
Is there anything else
you would like to add?
I would like to thank
especially all the
speakers who have
contributed to the
success and popularity
of our Spiritist Weeks
over the years. Our
Spiritist Week events
are eagerly awaited by
all Spiritists in our
capital.
