by Antonio Leite & Renan Lacerda.
Before doing so, we would like to say that those might not be the only pieces of information related to the beginning of the Spiritist Movement in America. Our intent is actually to bring as much information as possible in this matter that we repute as very important for those who are engaged in this blessed task of spreading the teachings of Spiritism according to Allan Kardec throughout this country. Therefore, we will be glad to make available at GEAE’s page all the information regarding this subject that will be sent to us.
Within the Chapter VIII of the above book, which has the title: The Dead are Alive (Os Mortos Estão Vivos), the following is written: 2
“In May of 1965, the two (Chico Xavier and Waldo Vieira) had embarked for the United States. It was already time to introduce Spiritism to the Americans. Followed by two friends, Maria Aparecida Pimental and Irineu Alves, they had arrived in Washington on the afternoon of Saturday, May 22nd. In the following day they had visited a Spíritualist Temple in the city to thank the spiritual plane for the possibility of the trip. Without advanced warning, they headed to the Church of Two Worlds, which was directed by the medium Gordon Burrouhgs. It was 3:00 PM. They had sat down in the last row of seats and had remained in silence, following prayers, chants and commentaries on the doctrine. Nobody who was present knew them.
At the end of the meeting, one lady indicated the four “brothers of another country” present at the meeting and spoke about their task in the United States, which was to bring spiritual renewal and to stimulate a fraternal approach between the two nations. Promptly thereafter, in trance, she announced the presence of a “teacher” and a “doctor” close to the Brazilian visitors. Chico and Waldo were already aware of the presence of the spirits of Emmanuel and André Luiz.
In July, Waldo Vieira wrote a text message in the paper signed by the “doctor”: “Basic points for the spíritist in a trip”. It was a guideline for the followers of the Spiritist Doctrine who would travel abroad for the first time. The advices, signed by André Luiz, seemed to have been written by Chico Xavier. These guidelines directed that the word foreign must be scratched from the dictionary. “The children of other homelands must be treated as true brothers“. Besides prejudicial comparisons which would cause humiliation, it was necessary to refrain from being boastful, to be discreet and humble, to prevent from critique, quarrels, anecdotes and aphorisms of bad taste. In order to be more useful, one would have to study the language and the customs of the country that he or she visited.
For the quartet, there was much work to be done. Allan Kardec was an illustrious stranger (unknown) in the United States, even among the spiritualists. They accepted reincarnation, believed in spiritualistic phenomena such as materializations, but they were still unaware of the gospel 3 codified by the Frenchman in the previous century. Chico and Waldo then turned their attention to the second part of the plan: to establish a Spiritist Center. 4 They had already contacted a person in Washington: Salim Salomão Haddad and his wife, Phyllis. 5 The couple had known Chico Xavier in Pedro Leopoldo (Brazil), 6 since 1956.
Chico chose the Turkish Salim, who spoke seven languages, to be the president of the Spiritist Center, which was named the Christian Spiritist Center. The address for the Center would be Salim and Phyllis’ house. For three weeks, the Brazilian visitor (Chico Xavier) was a guest there. As usual, he worked and he studied compulsively. In the morning he would be taught English by the couple’s oldest son. During the afternoons, Mrs. Haddad would be the English teacher and in the evening it was Salim Haddad who instructed him. For fifteen days Chico was able to learn what few would be able to learn in one year.
The pupil was a phenomenon, but according to his professors he didn’t have the required skills to write the texts, which in a few minutes was placed in the paper with the signature of a certain Ernest O’Brien. The English words flowed from his hand hastily, astounding even the Americans and left Mrs. Phyllis amazed. One of the articles, titled “Family“, soon began with a description of the first impressions of the afterlife:
“Tremendous surprise takes place in our mind at the moment of death. Contrary to our own former opinions we are alive. The body came back to the inorganic Kingdom as subject of universal change and we recognize that death is rebirth.”
Waldo Vieira was not left behind and also would present texts signed by O’Brien:
“On what basis shall we localize the problem of death? Of course, there is no death. Life itself demands death as a rebirth.”
Suicide would be a pure loss of time. Life is inevitable.
Between a lesson and a “message”, Chico Xavier would write books and he would occasionally take a walk with the hosts throughout the city. Mrs. Phyllis remembered two phrases of Chico during the sojourn:
“We must forgive seventy by seven times daily.”
“And a lot more patience every day.”
After Washington, they traveled to New York City. There, Chico met the doctor Eurípides Tahan, the companion of Maria Olina in the Sheila Spiritist Center. Tahan was studying for his MD in research for liver transplant and stimulated by Chico, both enrolled for an English course. For three weeks the mineiro7 of Pedro Leopoldo participated in the course. The teacher was impressed with Chico’s ability towards learning the English language.
At the end of one of the classes, a young man from Nicaragua approached Chico and Eurípedes and uttered in relief: he was facing problems with his wife and needed help. That same night, Chico decided to visit his house. The doctor followed him and was astounded by his behavior in the house of the Nicaraguan. Right after arriving in the man’s house he started talking with his wife in fluent Spanish. The conversation lasted for forty minutes. Chico seemed to be another person. When they left the house Chico explained to him: “It was her grandmother helping her and giving her advice…”
Afterwards, Chico and Waldo had left the United States and landed in France. Chico, indeed, embarked on a quest to visit Allan Kardec’s tomb, which is located in the Père la Chaise’s cemetery. There he prayed and wept. Before returning to Brazil, they had passed by Lisbon, where they left written texts in Portuguese. In one of them, signed by Emmanuel, 8 the following warning was issued.
“Let us take care of charity that suppresses the sufferings of the flesh, but do not diminish the aid to the necessities of the soul. Let us divulge the light of the Spíritist Doctrine.9 Let us assist our neighbor in helping him to discern and to think.”
Chico would repeat the words of Christ:
“Learn the truth and it will set you free.”
Emmanuel would complete with a firm statement:
“Free to be happy in our obligations and to be more responsible before God.”
In this first trip, Chico and Waldo had launched the seeds of the Doctrine codified by Allan Kardec (Spiritism) abroad. In the following year, they would return to the United States in order to look after the plantation.
Chico Xavier has initiated this trip with the aim of taking an important step in the goal of disseminating the teachings of the Spiritist Doctrine in the United States and other countries abroad by launching the English version of one of his books: Ideal Espírita. To attract more readers, the book was translated into English with the title: The World of the Spirits and reached the stores with the label of the respected Philosophical Library. Chico was very excited and the trip was a success. Mrs. Phyllis Haddad had contributed to intensify the spiritist author’s optimism. Inspired she proved to be in tune with the beyond and touched in one of the most sensible points of Chico: she wrote in a paper a message signed by a certain Maria João de Deus. 10
The trip would be profitable. Books such as Christian Agenda and Our Home (The Astral City) 11 would be translated into English, Japanese and Czech. The Spiritist Doctrine would start cradling in the United States. A Spiritist Center named Centro de Sheilla would be inaugurated in Miami, besides two others Spiritist Centers. New York would soon host three spiritist centers, California would host two others and Philadelphia another one in the next thirty years.12 Statistically, it was not an exciting achievement. “The World of the Spirits” would sell 216 issues in the first year. Chico was happy and thought it was excellent, though.”
As a result of this trip, Francisco Cândido Xavier and Waldo Vieira published a fascinating book in 1966: Entre Irmãos de Outras Terras (Between Brothers of Other Lands).13
The second part of the book is comprised of a number of messages that were dictated in English through the spirits Ernest O’Brien and Anderson. These messages are available at GEAE’s homepage.
Many spirits, one of which is a very dear and celebrated writer known to all Americas as William James 14, dictated one of the enlightening messages that comprise this very interesting book.
The message can be found on page 23 of the book and is titled: Vinte Assuntos Com William James (Twenty Subjects with William James). This message was already translated into English by A. L. Xavier Jr. (one of the members of GEAE’s Editorial Board) with the title: An Interview With William James and included in the newsletter Spiritist Messenger # 30.
The message will be transcribed below with few changes in regard to the first translation, which was permitted by the translator Ademir Luiz Xavier Jr.
1 As vidas de Chico Xavier by Marcel Souto Maior, Rocco, Rio de Janeiro – 1995. Translation of the excerpts by Antonio Leite & Renan Lacerda.
2 Book mentioned above, pages 158 to 164.
3 The Gospel According to Spiritism by Allan Kardec
4 Place where the Spiritist Dodctine’s followers gather to study the Doctrine and to worship God.
5 Salim Haddad was the first to translate Chico Xavier’s well-known bestseller from the André Luiz collection (Nosso Lar) with the title: The Astral City, which is available in its entirety at GEAE’s homepage. He passed away in 1991. His wife Mrs. Phyllis Haddad lives in Elon College, North Carolina, and directs the Christian Spirit Center.
6 Town where Chico Xavier was born and lived for many years.
7 Designation for people who are born in the Town of Pedro Leopoldo, Brazil, where Chico Xavier was born.
8 Chico Xavier’s main mentor and spiritual guide.
9 Charity according to the Spiritist Doctrine stands as one of the most important paths to be followed by humanity in order to achieve progress. It is the most practical way to attune oneself with Jesus’ maxim: Love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore, one of the most efficient ways of practicing charity, according to Spiritism, is by disseminating its enlightening teachings.
10 Chico Xavier’s mother, who had passed away when Chico Xavier was 6 years old.
11 Book mentioned on the endnote # 5.
12 Today the number of Spiritist Centers in America amounts to almost a hundred and in the year 2000 the first American Spiritist Congress in Miami was held, and approximately a thousand people from ten different countries were in attendance.
13 Entre Irmãos de Outras Terras by Francisco Cândido Xavier & Waldo Vieira, Copyright by Federação Espírita Brasileira, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1966.
14 William James was a Professor of psychology at Harvard University, achieved his MD in 1869 and later taught physiology and philosophy. One of the founders of the American Society for Psychical Research – ASPR, president of the Society for Psychical Research – SPR in 1894-5, vice-president from 1890-1910. He wrote: The Varieties of Religious Experience; The Meaning of Truth; The Will to Believe”, among other interesting books.
Source: The Spiritist Messenger, 8th Year, Number 38, November 2002
