Santa Casa De Cura

Grandmother Clara Shinobu Iura
Amazonia, Brazil

INTRODUCTION

It is with great gratitude and joy that we received the invitation to participate in the Grand Mä Offering, an event that was organized to support our mission, in this time of so much turmoil, where we are at the mercy of uncertainty, and the world picture has been showing us the uncertain future that awaits us. 

That's why we were called by our guide in the Forest, to prepare a sister/brotherhood that could create a new people, a new system, a new life and a new world. Where we can live in community, helping each other, planting and sharing the harvest.

Working in charity with those in need, without judgments. Loving our neighbor as ourselves. Using the traditional knowledge of forest people, healing herbs and sacred plants as medicine for the soul and spirit. Consequently bringing healing to matter; through self-examination, prayers and blessings, respecting and using the sacred knowledge of the planet to help people in their healing.

Praising the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, Nature and all that it contains, protecting it from being destroyed. Always connected with God, meditating deeply on everyday life, on our truth and fidelity to Him and to all guides and all the saints, to be embraced by  the Divine Protection.

Within the Amazon Forest, surrounded by a green ocean, is the village of Céu do Mapiá. The closest city is about seven to ten hours away by boat, depending on the water level, the boat, and the weight loaded. This is where we are following the instructions left by Padrinho Sebastião Mota, a forest prophet and founder of our Community. With the light of Santo Daime, our Sacred drink, and Santa Maria, which he defended in life, it helps us to transform the conditioning imposed by the current society, which distances us from our Essential Self. He preached the need to know ourselves and live by practicing respect for ourselves and others, without judgment, as well as many other teachings for our spiritual evolution.

The original divine instruction of creating a healing house in Céu do Mapiá was received in a vision by a woman named Junko Seto while living in Japan, when the founder of our Holy Doctrine whispered to her the idea of helping to build a healing house in our village. This house was created for traditional forest healing, sacred and holistic knowledge, with the Santo Daime sacrament, as director and teacher. With the help coming from different directions, the dream of having this place to take care of the sick, came true!

The guides gave us instructions for the proper functioning of what would be a Spiritual Hospital, the Santa Casa de Cura (Holy House of Healing) Padrinho Manoel Corrente. One of the instructions was not to use money as exchange, but to help those in need. We managed to survive this way for some time, with the help of a network of people.

When we started Santa Casa's activities, in September 1999, we still had the help of many community members, and they all worked voluntarily. Over time, money entered our community and people had to seek resources for their livelihood, thus changing the system envisioned by Padrinho Sebastião.

Even with some help, the high cost of maintaining the Santa Casa became unsustainable. And it was during this period that I was invited to join the Council of the Thirteen Grandmothers. We began traveling the world, receiving many invitations to events, and income that helped meet Santa Casa’s needs, providing conditions for the continuity of our work. 

The Santa Casa has always acted in search for solutions to social problems, being a key point in our community, as a space for prayer, healing, workshops, meetings and events. Even with the building deteriorating, it is still in use for many activities of the local community.

Last year, after the death of a dear brother from being bitten by a snake, who was taken to be treated in the city where he died, I became aware of the need to get back to work at the Santa Casa de Cura, which until then was half asleep, like I was. And in fright, we set out to reform it and rescue our ideal of using traditional knowledge, not denying allopathy, but making use of the wisdom of the forest, with its incalculable wealth of resources for health and healing.

At the moment the renovation work on the Santa Casa building is well under way, and is expected to be completed in the first half of this year. We still need to rebuild the kitchen and cafeteria, but our most important need is the monthly maintenance resource, which we are unable to meet. I look forward to counting on all of you to continue studying, cultivating and applying the wisdom that the mysterious forest offers us and the world.

Grandmother Clara Shinobu Iura

PRESENTATION

On September 1st, 2022, the Santa Casa de Cura Padrinho Manoel Corrente celebrates 23 years of operation dedicated to serving the spiritual, mental and physical health of residents and visitors of Vila Céu do Mapiá. As a charity house dedicated to comprehensive health care, Santa Casa was created and maintained from the contribution of several people and donations.

After the completion of the renovation work on the main building of the Santa Casa, currently happening, a new period of renovation of the fundamental purposes that led to the creation of this sacred space in Céu do Mapiá will begin. In view of this, the need to guarantee conditions to welcome people is reinforced, not only those who seek care, but also those who come to learn and develop as well as receive the healing energies that emanate from the Santa Casa, and the power of the Amazonian forest it’s held in.

This project proposes to carry out actions that can guarantee the full functioning of Santa Casa.

JUSTIFICATION

In recent years, Santa Casa's activities have been reduced to the minimum because we no longer have the necessary resources to maintain the services as in the first years of operation. At that time, there was a staff of volunteers who, together with the donations and resources raised by the coordination of Santa Casa, made it possible to offer permanent duty to everyone who arrived there in search of assistance. 

TARGET AUDIENCE 

The entire community living in Céu do Mapiá and surroundings, as well as national and international visitors.

MAIN GOAL

To ensure the full functioning of the Santa Casa as a house of spiritual charity and health care.

SPECIFIC GOAL

Maintain staff and service routine.

PROCEDURE

In the short term, reactivate Santa Casa's ability to offer its services of care and healing.

- Permanent staff maintenance

Although it is considered that the assistance service at Santa Casa should always be a voluntary service, since it is understood that it is a dedication that cannot be charged or sold, minimum resources are needed so that people can dedicate themselves and maintain a commitment to its basic services:

- On duty (during the day and night when necessary)
- Sustainability
- Cleaning and laundry service
- Caretaker and Maintenance (fuel, repairs, general care)
- Management

The janitorial, cleaning and kitchen services will be permanent. In principle, the proposal is to ensure that there is always at least one person on duty able to receive people at Santa Casa and, according to demand, the care and other services are organized. To keep people on duty and to attend or hospitalize patients, there will still be a monthly demand for food. The administration comprises monthly expenses with an accountant, website, communication and general services for the organization of the sectors.

* It is important to point out that in order to keep Santa Casa running, resources are needed on a monthly basis.

The expenses described above depend on Santa Casa's flow of activities. The surplus values will be part of a fund that will meet several other needs, such as the purchase of furniture and household needs, social assistance, among others.