The UDV in Brazil: North to South, East to West

The Blog Team*

| July 18, 2018

Mestre José Gabriel da Costa (Mestre Gabriel) declared the creation of the União do Vegetal on July 22^nd,1961, in a seringal (rubber tapping region) on the border between the then Federal Territory of Rondônia and Bolivia, during a Session of the Vegetal in which his family and a small group of people participated. Since then, the União comes growing in a firm and sustained manner in Brazil and in 10 other countries (the United States, Canada, Peru, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia). Today, it is comprised of associates of over 60 nationalities.

In Brazil, the UDV has 19,763 associates in 172 Núcleos, in its General Headquarters, and in 15 Authorized Distributions of Vegetal (DAVs), located in all of the states of the Federation and in the Federal District. To illustrate this presence, in the month of the 57^th anniversary of the União do Vegetal, the Blog of the UDV selected four Núcleos situated in the geographic extremes of our country and that are marked on the map that opens this article.

The one that is farthest north is Núcleo Santa Rosa, located in Boa Vista (Roraima); the farthest south, Núcleo Porto Alegre in Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul); the farthest east, Núcleo Conselheiro Salomão Gabriel in João Pessoa (Paraíba); and the farthest west, Núcleo Marechal in Marechal Thaumaturgo (Acre).

Panorama

The UDV Blog did a quick panorama of each one of these four Núcleos in homage of the entire irmandade of the União do Vegetal in Brazil in this festive month.

Núcleo Santa Rosa

Núcleo Santa Rosa (Boa Vista, Roraima) is the northernmost Núcleo in Brazil and came to be from a branching out of Núcleo Estrela do Oriente (Boa Vista, RR) and also from the participation of disciples of the UDV who were associates of Núcleo Boa Vista (Boa Vista, RR). Núcleo Santa Rosa was inaugurated on September 7^th, 2010, but the movement for the division of the Núcleo was initiated in 2001. It currently has 100 associates and its Representative Mestre is Eliseu de Mendonça Ramos.

Núcleo Porto Alegre

Núcleo Porto Alegre (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul) is the southernmost Núcleo in Brazil. It was inaugurated as a Pre-núcleo on April 5^th, 2008 after a branching out of Núcleo Jardim das Flores (Porto Alegre), the first Núcleo to establish itself in Rio Grande do Sul. On December 12^th, 2009, the Pre-núcleo was elevated to the status of Núcleo Porto Alegre. It has 84 associates and its Representative Mestre is José Gomes Machado.

There is a distribution of Vegetal in the city of Pelotas (RS), connected to Núcleo Mãe Santíssima (Itaara, RS), but it does not yet constitute an Authorized Distribution of Vegetal (DAV). When this happens, it will become the southernmost place in the country where a DAV or Núcleo of the União do Vegetal is located.

Núcleo Conselheiro Salomão Gabriel

Núcleo Conselheiro Salomão Gabriel (João Pessoa, Paraíba) is the easternmost Núcleo in Brazil (and also in the Americas). It was inaugurated as the Authorized Distribution of Vegetal (DAV) João Pessoa on January 28^th, 2006, but its history began in 2002 with the first sessions held in the city by associates affiliated with Núcleo Campina Grande (Campina Grande, PB). On January 28^th, 2009, the DAV came to be called Pre-núcleo Conselheiro Salomão Gabriel, who was the son of Mestre Gabriel and of Mestre Pequenina (Raimunda Ferreira da Costa). Currently, it has 158 associates and its Representative Mestre is Ricardo Canella.

Núcleo Marechal

Núcleo Marechal (Marecal Thaumaturgo, Acre), is the westernmost Núcleo in Brazil. It was officialized as a distribution of Vegetal on November 15^th, 2002, but the first sessions of the UDV in the city occurred in 1994, organized by brothers and sisters initially affiliated with Núcleo Cruzeiro do Sul (Cruzeiro do Sul, AC) and also by brothers and sisters that lived in the municipality of Marechal Thaumaturgo. Núcleo Marechal currently has 89 associates and its Representative Mestre is Antônio Cristóvão de Oliveira.

*This article included collaboration by the monitors of the Department of Memory and Communication (DMC) of Núcleos Santa Rosa, Porto Alegre, Conselheiro Salomão Gabriel, and Marechal.

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>>> Read too: UDV has associates of 60 nationalities in 11 countries 

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