The 74 years of Mestre Jair Gabriel

Fernanda Evangelista*
Luisa Torreão Sá Lasserre**

|April 24^th, 2024

From the eyes of a boy who saw in his father a Mestre made by God, to the eyes of the shepherd who today takes care of the flock. From the vivid colors of the forest to the colorful pointillism art that enchants. From Porto Velho to Salvador and from Salvador to Brasília. The walk of Jair Gabriel da Costa, Mestre Jair, is made up of many steps that have been taken to have arrived here today, when he celebrates his 74^th birthday, as the current General Representative Mestre of the Beneficent Spiritist Center União do Vegetal.

The second child of Raimunda Ferreira da Costa, Mestre Pequenina, and José Gabriel da Costa, Mestre Gabriel (founder of the União do Vegetal), Jair was born 2 months premature on April 24^th, 1950, in Porto Velho, Rondônia. While still a child, he went to the rubber-tapping region of the forest (seringal) with his family, where his first schooling was working in the jungle.

Also this month, 65 years ago, on April 1^st, 1959, he drank the Vegetal for the first time in Colocação (rubber-tapping area) Capinzal in Seringal Guarapari. He was the first to recognize his father as a Mestre, during the third time that the family drank Hoasca Tea. Since then, he has accompanied the creation and growth of the UDV, being one of the founders of the Center.

Mestre Jair served in the military from January 1969 until January 1971, the year he was convoked to the Instructive Body by Mestre Gabriel in Porto Velho. In December of 1971, after his father had already disincarnated. he went to live in Manaus at the invitation of Mestre Florêncio, where he worked at the Carvalho Company and helped his mother, sending her a portion of his earnings.

In 1974, he returned to Porto Velho and began working at the Department of Highways (DER) as a heavy machine operator until 1981. Also in 1974, he had his first marriage with Eliana Uchoa Costa. They stayed together until 1988 and had three children: Jailson, Elizângela and Gabriel Neto.

He arrived to the Body of Counsel on February 10^th, 1975, convoked by Mestre Monteiro. The following year, on May 6^th, Mestre Joanico convoked him to the Cadre of Mestres.

At the beginning of 1982, Mestre Jair began working for the Civil Police of the Territory of Rondônia. He dedicated himself to this profession for 27 years until retiring in 2009, later receiving the award for best civil police officer for his services rendered. In 1984, together with Mestre Pequenina, he founded Núcleo Mestre Iagora, and became its first Representative Mestre, until 1988. Still in 1988, when the Council of the Recordation of the Teachings of Mestre Gabriel was created, Mestre Braga indicated M. Jair to be a part of this group, despite him not having received the Star of Mestre from the hands of Mestre Gabriel, in recognition of his participation and for his knowledge of the stories about the beginning of the works of the União do Vegetal. Everyone agreed.

Change

At the start of the 1990’s, Mestre Jair’s life went through a big change after traveling to Salvador (BA) together with his mother. He met Ermanna Cavazzoli, an Italian woman living in Bahia, with whom he became enchanted. He ended up moving there, thus making the return trip to where his father had departed from when  he left for the North. They began living together in December of 1992. They officialized their civil marriage on July 21^st, 1994, and their religious marriage the next day, on July 22^nd, the same day as the UDV’s anniversary and Ermanna’s birthday. Their daughter, Gabriella, was born that same year.

It was also in Bahia that M. Jair discovered a talent that had previously been dormant. After initially receiving guidance from visual artist, Edison da Luz, he began painting pictures and developing his own artistic expression. Today, he is internationally recognized as a master of pointillism for his vibrantly colored paintings that evoke his experiences from the forest.

In 1997, M. Jair founded Núcleo Salvador, and occupied the place of Representative Mestre for two trienniums. In November of 2002, due to professional reasons, he returned to live in Porto Velho, where he once again held the position of Representative Mestre of Núcleo Mestre Iagora. Then, he was designated as the Central Mestre of the 4^th Region, from 2006 to 2009. In April of 2009, he retired and returned to live in Salvador.

Mestre Jair also held the position of General Assistant Mestre for two terms, from January 6^th, 2009 to January 6^th, 2015, when Mestre Herculano was the General Representative Mestre. On November 15^th, 2017, M. Jair inaugurated Núcleo Sultão das Matas, a long-held request of his mother’s, where he served as Representative Mestre for two trienniums.

In September of 2023, prior to completing his period as Representative, M. Jair was elected as the Center’s General Representative Mestre. On January 6^th of this year, he took office in Brasília, the city where he currently resides with his wife Ermanna. Today, the irmandade of the General Headquarters and visitors from other places celebrate the birthday of this joyful and spontaneous friend in the way that he likes: with a session for the entire irmandade.

For many years, while Mestre Pequenina was still incarnated, she would make a point to be present on this day and sing a simple song of “Happy Birthday” to her son, showing all her motherly love. Today, to represent the whole family, the UDV Blog brings interviews from his oldest brother, Getúlio, and his sister, Conselheira Jandira.

To Mestre Jair, our wishes of health and happiness!

>> Interview with Getúlio Gabriel da Costa;
>> Interview with C. Jandira Gabriel da Costa.

*Fernanda Evangelista is a member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Sultão das Matas (Salvador/BA – 4th Region) and was the DMC Monitor of Núcleo Sultão das Matas (during the trienniums from 2018 to 2024);

**Luisa Torreão Sá Lasserre is a member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Apuí (Salvador/BA – 4th Region) and is the Adjunct Director of the Department of Memory and Communication of the General Directorate.

Image and sound recording: Manoel Garibaldi, member of the Instructive Body of Núcleo Mestre Pequenina (Porto Velho-RO – 1^st Region) and Regional Coordinator of the Department of Memory and Communication (DMC) of the 1^st Region.