Nélio Vicente
Costa:
“The biggest
blessing I have
received from
the Creator was
to have become a
Spiritist”
The president of
the Spiritist
Centre Lar de
Jesus (Home of
Jesus) talks to
us about the
Spiritist Month
of Caruaru, in
the Brazilian
state of
Pernambuco, an
event he has
coordinated
since 2001
 |
The Spiritist
Month of Caruaru
– a city of
320,000
inhabitants in
the north-east
of Brazil –
gathers a great
number of guests
every year. In
this edition our
interviewee is
Nélio Vicente
Costa, the
events
coordinator.
Nélio, who
became a
Spiritist in
1975, has lived
in the city
since 1967. With
a degree in
Literature, he
was a military
man for 32
years. He
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has been the
president of the Spiritist Centre
Lar de Jesus
(Home of Jesus)
since 2001.
How did you
become a
Spiritist?
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I could say it
was by chance,
but as
Spiritists we
know there is no
chance. I would
say I became a
Spiritist when
my time came to
show the world
what I was here
for, to get down
to business and
work on behalf
of the Spiritist
Movement.
What aspect of
Spiritism
strikes you the
most and why?
The purity of
its principles.
Those who follow
one of its main
messages –
“Spiritists,
love yourselves
and educate
yourselves” –
will inevitably
feel urged to
engage in the
charity work and
will never be
able to dismiss
any point of our
beloved
Teachings.
When and how the
Spiritist Month
of Caruaru was
created?
This beautiful
and so important
movement was
created in 2001.
Once I was
thinking about
many aspects of
life when I came
up with a
brilliant idea
(which of course
came from our
Spiritual
Benefactors):
why doesn’t the
city of Caruaru
improve its work
in the
dissemination of
Spiritism? We
hold our
meetings inside
Spiritist
Centres but many
people who would
be interested
get embarrassed
to come in. I
thought: if we
held our
meetings in a
public, open
space many other
people would
probably join
us. Let’s then
follow the
example of other
cities that
already do
something like
that!
From all these
years, what is
your most
cherished memory
of the Spiritist
Month of
Caruaru?
Every year we
learned
something really
profound and
important. But I
would say that
the most
remarkable event
of all events
was when the
great medium,
Divaldo Franco,
came to deliver
a talk. We
gathered 1,500
people to see
him and they all
left at the end
saying things
like: “I am so
happy! What a
wonderful
feeling I’m
taking home with
me! Thank you,
Lord, for
Spiritism, thank
you for these
divine
Teachings!”
How did you
manage to secure
the comfortable
and convenient
Difusora de
Caruaru Shopping
Centre to host
the event?
I can certainly
say that is
something that
came from above,
because it was
so
straightforward
that I was
surprised. The
Spiritual
Benefactors must
have worked very
hard in the
background, but
we did not. It
was quite easy
to get
authorisation.
Tell us a bit
more about
Caruaru and its
Spiritist
Movement.
Caruaru is some
130Km from the
state capital,
Recife. It has
320,000
inhabitants,
excellent shops
and commerce in
general and good
industry. Those
who live here
need nothing
else for a happy
life. Hail
Caruaru, which
was founded 158
years ago! It
was founded on
May 18th,
1957, exactly
one month after
the publication
by Allan Kardec
of The Spirits’
Book, which
marked the
beginning of
modern
Spiritism.
Is there
anything you
like to share
with us from all
your years in
the Spiritist
Movement?
I am not a
medium with a
capacity to
hear, see or
communicate
directly with
Spiritis. But
once I was at a
meeting and I
saw clearly the
face of a lady
who was walking
towards the
stage change
into someone
else’s face.
When the meeting
ended and before
I said that to
anyone, a medium
who was came to
me and said:
“Nélio, such and
such person (the
one I had seen)
said she was
present at our
meeting”.
Is there
anything else
you would like
to add?
That we,
Spiritist, must
have the
humility and
courage to get
engaged and take
active part in
all events
linked to the
Spiritist
Movement. That
is the only way
to strengthen
our Movement.
When will you be
holding the
Spiritist Month
of Caruaru in
2016?
It will be held,
as usual, on
every Sunday of
the month of
March. The three
main speakers
invited have
already
confirmed they
will be here:
Izaias Claro and
André Marouço,
from the state
of São Paulo,
and Ademar Faria
Júnior, from the
state of
Espírito Santo.
Is there
anything else
you would like
to add?
For those who
have not as yet
got to know
Spiritism I
would say: the
biggest blessing
I have received
from the Creator
was to have
become a
Spiritist. For
the Spiritists I
would say: how
good it is to be
a Spiritist. And
for everyone all
I can do is
repeat the
recommendation
of the master of
the masters,
Jesus Christ:
“Love one
another as I
have loved you.”
