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Soraia de Cássia
Compri:
“There’s strong
prejudice
against
Spiritism in our
town”
The coordinator
of the Spiritist
Centre Pátria do
Evangelho in
Brazilian the
town of Albertina, in
Minas Gerais,
talks in
this
interview about
her early days
in Spiritism and
the
challenges
she has faced in
her journey
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Soraia de Cássia
Compri (photo)
lives in the
town of
Albertina, in
the Brazilian
state of Minas
Gerais, where
she works as a
teacher. She was
born in a
Spiritist family
and is the
coordinator of
the Spiritist
Centre Pátria do
Evangelho. In
this interview
she talks about
her work in the
Spiritist
Movement and the
problems and
prejudice the
Spiritists in
her city
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have faced. |
Tell us a bit
more about the
town of
Albertina.
Albertina lies
in the south of
Minas Gerais
state, near the
border with the
state of São
Paulo. Brazil’s
largest city,
São Paulo, is
220km away. It
is a beautiful,
mountainous
region.
Albertina has
some 3,000
inhabitants and
its economy is
based on
agriculture,
especially
coffee growing.
It became an
independent town
on March 1st
1963.
What is it like
living in a
small town in
Brazil, a
predominantly
Roman Catholic
country, and
working as a
volunteer in a
Spiritist
Centre? Do
Spiritists in
Albertina still
face prejudice?
It is a big
challenge
indeed, as there
is a great deal
of prejudice
against
Spiritism in the
town, where most
people are
Catholic. It
beggars belief
that in the 21st
Century there
are still people
who are scared
of walking past
the Spiritist
Centre.
You are a small
group of
contributors.
How is it
working together
in small
numbers?
Even though we
are a small
group of 5 to 7
regular
volunteer
workers, we are
aware that the
Spirit World
gives us huge
assistance. In
our mediumship
meetings, many
discarnate
Spirits who
lived in the
town before are
brought to us
for assistance.
Many were
politicians and
Catholic priests
who, as
incarnates, did
not believe in
Spiritism and
rejected it.
What are the
main activities
of the Spiritist
Centre?
We have a
meeting open to
the general
public where we
study the Gospel
and offer
healing. We also
have talks once
a month, on
Sunday
afternoon. And
from time to
time we organise
talks in public
areas so that
people get used
to the idea of
Spiritism and
feel less
intimidated to
join us.
Is there any
particular event
in the history
of the Spiritist
Movement in
Albertina that
you would like
to share with
us?
In 2012 we
received a
message through
the mediumship
of my father,
Oscar Dionísio
Compri. The
Spirit who
contacted us was
very moved and
said that he had
been longing to
speak to us. He
said he wanted
to let us know
how our
Spiritist Centre
had been built.
He told us that
he was happily
married when his
young wife fell
gravely ill and
passed away.
They had young
children. Soon
after passing
away, he noticed
that her Spirit
seemed attached
to the home. She
was always
around. All the
prayers to get
her to move away
and seek help in
the Spirit World
failed. One day
he felt inspired
to promise God
that he would
build a
Spiritist Centre
in his lands if
his former wife
found peace and
realised that
she had already
left the
material world.
Eventually, the
situation
normalised and
in the end of
the 1930s he
began to build,
brick by brick,
slowly, the new
Spiritist
Centre. Very
moved, he told
us that in those
early days they
barely had
access to books
and struggled to
buy even The
Gospel According
to Spiritism.
Tells us a bit
more about the
pioneers of the
Spiritist
Movement in the
town of
Albertina?
We researched
the old
documents of the
Spiritist centre
and found out
that the Spirit
who contacted us
was called José
da Silveira
Campos. His name
was in the title
deed of the
property as
donor of the
plot of land.
The deed is from
October 16th
1943, when the
building had
already been
built. It was
named initially
Charity Centre
Pátria do
Evangelho (Land
of the Gospel).
The Centre
ceased its
activities for
long stretches
of time. Only on
August 9th
1964 it was
officially
founded with the
name of
Spiritist Centre
Pátria do
Evangelho.
How does the
wider public
view the
activities of
the Spiritist
Centre,
including those
held in common
areas of the
town?
We publicise our
events,
including our
monthly talks,
in posters that
we hang in
public areas and
government
buildings. We
also talk to
people we know
could be
interested. But
very few people
who are not
Spiritists
attend our
events.
Are people in
Albertina aware
of Spiritist
literature?
Very little.
Those who come
to our meetings
for the first
time are given a
free copy of
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism
and The
Spirits’ Book.
Our humble
library is
available to
everyone but in
reality only our
regular workers
use the books we
have.
A final thought…
I know our
activities are
still very
limited and
there is a great
deal yet to be
done. I believe
the opening
hours of the
Spiritist Centre
should be
extended and
that during the
day we should
provide
fraternal
assistance (or
counselling) and
visiting people
who are ill in
hospital. We
should dare a
bit more,
opening a
bookstand in the
town’s main
square. At this
moment, that is
still a dream,
as we are short
of volunteers.
But I believe
things will
happen when they
are meant to.
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