Pedro de Camargo Vinícius "The Great Vinícius" The Greatest Expositor of the Gospel in the Light of Spiritism in was born on May 7, 1878, in the city of Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. He died on October 11, 1966, in the city of São Paulo.

His first years of schooling were spent at the Methodist-oriented Piracicabano School, founded in the United States. The headmistress at the time was the missionary Martha H. Watts, of whom Pedro de Camargo always had fond memories and great admiration. The following words come from an article he wrote on the occasion of the missionary's disincarnation in the United States: "Whenever there was an opportunity to inculcate principles of virtue and rules of morality, it was when she showed herself admirable, demonstrating the rare and exceptional competence with which she had been endowed to carry out such a sublime mission.

I well remember that no one around Miss Watts was capable of lying or dissimulation; the antics and antics, carefully concealed, were faithfully recounted to her when she questioned us, such was the empire she knew how to exercise over us, never using any other means than the force of good and the devotion with which she exercised her sacred priesthood. The society of Piracicaba owes him a great deal; his former students owe him a great deal; I owe him a great deal" (...)

Bible studies were methodical at Piracicabano College, so Pedro de Camargo became one of the greatest enthusiasts of this subject, later becoming one of the greatest authorities on evangelical exegesis.

In 1904, the first spiritist institution in the city was founded in Piracicaba, under the name of "Igreja Espírita Fora da Caridade não há Salvação". Among its founders was the venerable figure of João Leão Pitta. The operation of this traditional institution brought this pioneer a series of persecutions inspired by other religious organisations, to the point that he could not even get a job, so necessary for the support of his family that he was left on the verge of complete destitution for more than a year.

A year later, in 1905, Pedro de Camargo became interested in Spiritism, as he found in it the solution to everything his spirit did not know. (...) For about thirty years, Pedro de Camargo carried out a fruitful and intense work in his hometown, spreading the evangelical truths in the light of the Spiritist Doctrine. At that time, he adopted the pseudonym of Vinícius; his lectures were shorthanded and then widely disseminated, making his fame spread throughout the neighbourhood.

In 1938, he moved to the city of São Paulo. There he replaced Moreira Machado as president of the Federative Spiritist Union of São Paulo and, together with Thietre Diniz Cintra, founded a school for the evangelisation of children and young people, having developed standards and guidelines for this type of education.

In 1939, he became one of the directors of the Evangelical Spiritist Radio Programme of Brazil, broadcast daily by Rádio Educadora, in São Paulo. On March 31, 1940, when the União Federativa Espírita Paulista founded Rádio Piratininga, a clearly spiritist radio station, Vinícius was elected its 4th director-superintendent and, together with other figures of the São Paulo spiritist movement, he directed the station and its daily spiritist programme until 1942.

At that time, Vinícius had already joined the Spiritist Federation of the State of São Paulo, becoming one of its advisors and introducing its "Evangelical Gatherings", held every Sunday morning, with an appreciable attendance that invariably crowded its hall. For many years, he was a delegate of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation in São Paulo, representing it in all events where his presence was necessary.

When, in March 1944, the Spiritist Federation of the State of São Paulo launched the newspaper "O Semeador", Vinícius was appointed its managing director, a position he held for more than a decade, giving the newspaper his usual collaboration.

In October 1949, together with Carlos Jordão da Silva, he was part of the representation of the State of São Paulo in the II Pan-American Spiritist Congress, a conclave of great repercussion that took place in Rio de Janeiro. On the occasion of this event, several representatives of state-level spiritist organisations met in the former Federal Capital, which, in a fortunate move, managed to materialise the dream of many spiritist pioneers, creating the National Federative Council and signing the famous Golden Pact of Unification. Pedro de Camargo was one of the signatories of this important instrument of national spiritist pacification, on 5 October 1949.

Vinícius was a regular contributor to numerous spiritist organisations. His bibliography includes the books: "Em torno do Mestre" (Around the Teacher), "Na Seara do Mestre" (In the Teacher's Field), "Nas Pegadas do Mestre" (In the Teacher's Footsteps), "Na Escola do Mestre" (In the Teacher's School), "O Mestre na Educação" (The Teacher in Education) and "Em Busca do Mestre" (In Search of the Teacher), works of notable relevance in the field of evangelical-doctrinal dissemination.

His action was strongly felt when the founding of a spiritist educational institution was considered. He fought for this ideal for many years. He rejoiced with the foundation of the Pestalozzi Educational Centre, in the city of France, but his dream came true when he founded the "Spiritist Institute of Education", of which he was president. As part of this institute, the "Externato Hilário Ribeiro" was founded, of which he was the director until 1962.

Parallel to all these activities, Pedro de Camargo was a regular lecturer in the spiritist institutions, especially in those of the capital of the State, becoming one of the most sought-after speakers who always managed to attract the largest audiences. A man of impeccable character, measured in his attitudes and of impeccable morals, he became, de facto and de jure, a true standard-bearer of the spiritist movement. When his name appeared at the head of any organisation, he commanded confidence and respect, given the indisputable projection of his name and his quality as a champion of good and noble causes.

Vinicius also played a notable role in the field of spiritist social work, but his work in favour of evangelical-doctrinal enlightenment, essential for the inner enlightenment of men, occupied a prominent place.

Pedro de Camargo Vinícius died on 11 October 1966, in the city of São Paulo.