Mestre Altenísio, a friend at all times

Donizete da Silva*

| June 6^th, 2018.

From early on as a boy, in the forests that surrounded the city of Tarauacá, in the State of Acre, where he was born on December 30^th, 1957, Altenísio José de Albuquerque liked to walk in the forest, getting to know the plants and know about their uses. Maybe this is why the local custom of drinking the “vine”, the name given to the Vegetal in the region, called his attention so much. Over the course of his life he became a Forestry Engineer and pharmacist, with a profound knowledge of Brazilian phytotherapy (herbal medicine) and of the chemical properties of Mariri and of Chacrona.

At the age of 18, he had his first experience with the burracheira, with some caboclos (mixed race Brazilians) in one of the many forests close to the city. A short time later, in 1978, in Manaus-AM, where he studied, he was taken by his friend Sérgio Mello to drink the mysterious tea, this time in the society directed by Mr. Augusto Jerônimo da Silva, where he stayed until 1991.

From there, with friends that stayed by his side until the end of his life, he created the Ordem do Templo Universal de Salomão (Order of the Universal Temple of Solomon), known as OTUS, leading a flock of almost 500 people from different locations throughout Brazil to the Beneficent Spiritist Center União do Vegetal; in an event which took place on September 27^th, 2003 in Núcleo Mestre Gabriel, in Porto Velho-RO, which became known as the “integration.”

In the UDV, he was a founding associate of Núcleo Templo de Salomão, where he received the Star of the Mestre from the hands of Mestre Paixão on July 22^nd, 2004. Later, he occupied the Representation from 2009 to 2012. From 2015 to 2018, he was the Central Mestre of the 1^st Region (photo), where he carried out an innovative work of renovation, consolidating a leadership that kept him as a member of the Electoral College of the General Representative Mestre since the first time that the election was held in order to choose the members of that body. Through acclamation, he was reconducted to the Representation of Núcleo Templo de Salomão for the triennium of 2018/2021.

However, destiny decided to interrupt his brilliant path on this Plane. On Sunday, June 3^rd, he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was helped by his wife, who is a nurse, and by his oldest son, who is a doctor. Hospitalized since then at the Hospital Central, in Porto Velho, being conscious and emotionally reactive to the presence of his wife and children, being maintained under the effect of medication during the entire period, he passed away June 5^th, in the afternoon.

He leaves behind Mrs. Lúcia de Araújo Albuquerque, Conselheira Lúcia, five children – three men and two women (all following in the União, two of them being in the Direction) -, and five grandchildren– four boys and one girl, in addition to an enormous number of friends throughout all of Brazil and within and outside of the UDV.

He never stopped expressing his love for the Vegetal and his trust and respect for Mestre Gabriel, in whom he placed great trust. A friend at all hours, he will be greatly missed. With certainty, if he didn’t do more, it is because he didn’t have the time, but his work will never be forgotten.

We pray for the Divine Mestre to grant him Peace in one of his abodes and that Divine love shelter the hearts of all his friends and family.

“You become eternally responsible for what you have captivated”

Translation Coordinator: Isabel Cavalcante, member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Jardim Florescendo (Gainesville, FL – USA) | Translated by Jonathan Spoliansky, member of the Cadre of Mestres of Núcleo Jardim Florescendo (Gainesville, FL – USA) | Revised by: Patrick Medina, member of the Instructive Body of the Núcleo Claridade Divina  (Seattle, WA – USA)