Adilson Valdir
Baronceli:
“The pioneers of
the Spiritist
Movement in the
city of Loanda
were André
Fernandes,
Narciso Daviz
and their
friends”
Our fellow
Spiritist from
the city of
Loanda, in the
southern
Brazilian state
of Paraná, talks
about the
challenges of
setting
up the
Psychiatric
Hospital Nosso
Lar (Our Home)
 |
Adilson Valdir
Baronceli (photo),
an agronomist
and businessman,
was born in a
Spritist family
in the southern
Brazilian city
of Loanda. He
works as a
volunteer at the
Nosso Lar
Spiritist Centre
and he is the
current
president of the
Nosso Lar
Hostel, which
has as one of
its departments
the Psychiatric
Hospital Nosso
Lar. In this
interview, he
talks about
|
|
the Spiritist
Movement in
Loanda and the
struggle to keep
the hospital
going. |
Tell us a bit
about the city
of Loanda.
It is located in
the Northeast of
Paraná state, a
city that had in
2014 a
population of
22,448. The city
is known an
industrial hub
in the
production of
taps.
How were the
early days of
Spiritism in the
city?
In 1950, André
Fernandes and
his family moved
from a
prosperous
coffee farm in
another part of
Paraná state to
come to
Paranavaí. He
created the Belo
Horizonte farm
and was,
therefore, one
of the founders
of Loanda. He
was also one of
the founders of
the Spiritist
Centre Nosso Lar,
alongside
Narciso Daviz.
The opened the
night hostel in
1967 and the
psychiatric
hospital in
1970. We must
also mention
Pedro Leiva
Andreo, who is
now 82 and has
played an
important role
in the Nosso Lar
works. And also
André Fernandes,
who passed away,
aged 81, on June
7th
1974 and spent
his whole life
working for good
causes. Nosso
Lar is the only
Spiritist Centre
in the city.
What about the
Pscychiatric
Hospital? Tell
us more about
its early days.
The idea to
create a
psychiatric
hospital in
Loanda came from
Dr Ugo Accorsi,
a doctor and
General
Practitioner who
had links with
Spiritism and
was elected city
mayor several
times. The
hospital is a
department of
the Night Hostel
Nosso Lar. It
treats alcohol
and drug addicts
and people with
psychosis, all
of them over the
age of 18.
What are the
main challenges
faced by the
hospital at the
moment?
The main one is
the lack of
funds. The money
transferred by
the Brazilian
government does
not cover the
costs of running
the hospital. We
need to pay the
doctors, but
also
nutritionists,
nurses,
cleaners,
security
personnel; we
need to provide
five meals a day
etc. We also
need to provide
medication and
the government
only covers 50%
of the costs.
The other half
comes from the
Paraná state
government, the
city of Loanda
and other
donations. We
have 48 beds at
the moment and
we employ 43
people on a
permanent basis.
On the positive
side, we have
our own building
and do not need
to pay rent.
How do you
combine the
medical work
with the
Spiritist
activities aimed
at helping the
psychiatric
patients?
The Spiritual
treatment is
carried out
twice a week. We
teach Gospel
According to
Spiritism, we
give healing and
healing water
and refer the
most difficult
cases for
Spiritual
treatment. There
is very good
integration
between the
hospital and the
workers of the
Spiritist Centre
Nosso Lar.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
It is an honour
to take part in
this work with
the Nosso Lar
group in Loanda.
I would just
like to thank my
fellow
Spiritists for
their support in
this journey.
