Destination - Brazil
Western Churches ~ The Roots of Santo Daime
Summary
This is an intensive 21 day introductory tour of Santo Daime churches and
spiritual communities in Brazil. It includes 4 days in Rio de Janeiro,
flight to Rio Branco, Acre, 14 days at two Amazonian communities, flight back
to Rio de Janeiro, and another 3 days in Rio. In addition to visiting Colônia Cinco Mil
and Comunidade Fortaleza, we will visit the Bairro Irineu Serra
neighborhood in Rio Branco. We will learn about the Santo Daime
doctrine through visits and lectures, and have the opportunity to participate in
at least 3 formal Santo Daime ceremonies. Click above for details.
 | Colônia Cinco Mil
 Colônia Cinco Mil (Colônia 5000
/ Colônia 5 Mil), located near kilometer 5 on
the road to Porto Acre, is a five hour walk from Alto Santo in what is today bairro Irineu Serra. Here Sebastião Mota de Melo, or Padrinho
Sebastião as he became known, began his work as a disciple of Mestre Irineu in
1974. In 2004, many improvements were made in the church and the former
house built by Padrinho Sebastião in 1975. The church is known as the
Centro Ecletico Da Fluente Luz Universal Wilson Carneiro De Souza (CEFLUWCS) and is
presided over by Maurílio Reis, who is married with one of Padrinho
Sebastião's daughters, Neves.
|
| Comunidade Fortaleza
 Fortaleza is a community founded by
Luiz Mendes, located some
100 kilometers from Rio Branco along the Bolivian border. It is a very
simple settlement in the Amazon rainforest with a few wooden houses, where
hammocks or camping may be required. Mestre-Conselheiro Luiz
Mendes do Nascimento was born in the state of Acre 04 January 1940, came to
the Santo Daime doctrine in 1962, and was with Mestre Irineu until the
Mestre's passing in 1971. Luiz Mendes is the zelador, or proponent,
of Germano Guilherme's hinário Vós sois Baliza, as well as the
author, or channel, of two hinários of his own, O Centenário and
Novo Horizonte.
|
| Rio Branco, Bairro Irineu Serra
 Rio Branco is the capital of the Amazonian state of Acre, which
borders both Bolivia and Peru. Bairro (meaning neighborhood in
Portuguese) Irineu Serra is the area of Rio Branco named in honor of the
founder of the Santo Daime doctrine, Raimundo Irineu Serra or Mestre
Irineu as he is known. In June 2005, bairro Irineu Serra became Rio
Branco city's first officially designated Área de Proteção Ambiental or
APA, a Brazilian national conservation area. Today there are some 29
Santo Daime churches located in bairro Irineu Serra and
Rio Branco, most notably Mestre Irineu's former home, CICLU -
Alto Santo
presided over by his third wife, Dona Peregrina Gomes Serra. |
Itinerary 1
NOTE:
Subject to change.
Day 1: Rio de Janeiro
- All Day Airport Pick-ups
- Afternoon Orientation
- Evening Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Rio de Janeiro
- City Tour & Shopping
- Evening Lecture & Discussion
Day 3: Rio de Janeiro
- Morning Santo Daime Church Visit 1 & Lecture
- Afternoon Santo Daime Church Visit 2 & Lecture
Day 4: Rio de Janeiro -> Rio Branco
- Flight from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Branco via Brasilia, about 8 hours (cross 3 time zones, gain 2
hours)
Day 5: Rio Branco
- City Tour & Shopping (Buying hammocks w/nets)
- Evening Lecture
Day 6: Colônia Cinco Mil
- Day of harvesting in the rainforest (Rainforest excursion and
medicinal plant
identification)
- Evening Lecture
Day 7: Colônia Cinco Mil
- Day of traditional preparation (feitio ~ men and women separately)
Day 8: Colônia Cinco Mil
- Day of planting in the rainforest (Need work gloves)
- Evening Lecture
Day 9: Colônia Cinco Mil
- Santo Daime ceremony
Day 10: Colônia Cinco Mil -> Comunidade Fortaleza
- Day of bus travel deeper into the rainforest
Day 11: Comunidade Fortaleza
- Day of harvesting in the rainforest (Rainforest excursion and
medicinal plant
identification)
- Evening Lecture
Day 12: Comunidade Fortaleza
- Day of traditional preparation (feitio ~ men and women separately)
Day 13: Comunidade Fortaleza
- Day of planting in the rainforest (Need work gloves)
- Evening Lecture
Day 14: Comunidade Fortaleza
- Santo Daime ceremony
Day 15: Comunidade Fortaleza
- Day of rest and reflection
- Walk in the rainforest
- Evening celebration
Day 16: Comunidade Fortaleza -> Rio Branco
- Day of bus travel back to the capital city
Day 17: Rio Branco
- Visit Bairro Irineu Serra & Lecture
Day 18: Rio Branco -> Rio de Janeiro
- Flight from Rio Branco to Rio de Janeiro via Brasilia, about 8 hours (cross 3 time zones, lose 2
hours)
Day 19: Rio de Janeiro
- Santo Daime ceremony
Day 20: Rio de Janeiro
- Morning Rest
- Afternoon Debrief
- Bon Voyage Dinner
Day 21: Rio de Janeiro
- Departures, All Day Airport Drop-offs
