Carnival Spiritual Training Seminar in Brazil Draws 1,406 People
Covered by Brazil’s Largest Television Station
In Brazil, a five-day (four overnights) devotional labor spiritual training seminar (Carnival Spiritual Training Seminar) was held at five spiritual training centers from February 8 to 12. The number of participants totaled 1,406, including 350 first-timers. The Seminar program at each spiritual training center was centered on devotional labor and also included lectures, Mind Purification Ceremony, and Ancestor Memorial Service.
The break-down of the participants by spiritual training center was 815 for the South American Spiritual Training Center, 134 for the Santa Tecla Spiritual Training Center, 149 for the Santa Fe Spiritual Training Center, 253 for the Curitiba Spiritual Training Center, and 55 for the Amazonia Spiritual Training Center.
The lecturers at the South American Spiritual Training Center, which had the largest number of participants, were Rev. Marie Murakami (Ordained Minister, Chairperson of Brazil Missionary Headquarters), and Rev. Fernando Antonio Mendes Marquez (Ordained Minister, head of Lecturers’ Division, Brazil Missionary Headquarters), as well as one Assistant Minister and three Regional Lecturers. Used as texts were the Portuguese version of Seikatsu to Ningen no Saiken (Rebuilding of Man and Livelihood) by Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi, and other publications.
At each site, there was a study based on Seicho-No-Ie’s Environmental Policy. It helped raise the participants' awareness about environmental protection. Also tree planting and other activities were held.
This Seminar is held every year during the period when the Carnival is held in Rio. People took note of the fact that many people chose to spend their time on religious study when many others were having a good time. Five television stations including Brazil’s largest commercial station, Rede Globo, covered the spiritual training seminar held at the Curitiba Spiritual Training Center.
This was aired at a later date in the news report in Parana and Santa Catarina with the content: “while the Carnival was being held, many people sought spiritual joy from prayer and devotional labor.” The subsequent response to the news included people taking interest in Seicho-No-Ie and visiting the Spiritual Training Center.
Comments from the participants included: “My resolve is to bring 15 people to the next spiritual training seminar.”
Remarks by Rev. Junji Miyaura, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“During the Carnival an increasing number of people seek mental fulfillment and spiritual improvement. The spiritual training seminar is an option to satisfy those needs.”