In my research I’ve come across several Spiritualists who are virtually never talked about anymore, one of those is Rev. Anthony Camardo, an Italian-American Spiritualist who founded his own Spiritualist Association, the Liberal Psychic Science Church, in Chicago. You can read what I've written about him here.
One of the aspects of his life that I found fascinating, was that he hosted a delegation of visiting Spiritualists from Puerto Rico who made a 3,000 mile trip to visit him and the Spiritualist community of Camp Chesterfield in 1956.
I recently purchased an old Spiritualist magazine from 1955 and found that it added a whole new chapter to this interesting story of Spiritualists working together from different areas of the world.
Apparently Rev. Camardo, and other Spiritualists in his community, were regularly active in serving the Spiritualist community in Puerto Rico, so much so that a Spiritualist Center was established there that was chartered with Rev. Camardo’s Spiritualist Association: the First Liberal Psychic Science Center of Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Rather than paraphrase this story, I decided to type up the article itself so that it’s easier to read for everyone.
Puerto Rico Trip A Success (Chimes Psychic Magazine, May 1955)
Rev. Jessie Curl, international Healer; Rev. Anthony Camardo, Pastor of the First Liberal Psychic Science Church of Chicago, Illinois; and Herman Brostoff, Assistant Pastor, arrived by plane at the airport in San Juan Puerto Rico, on January 22nd. They were asked not to leave the cabin until all other passengers had disembarked, as newspaper reporters wished to take pictures and interview the visitors. Both pictures and interviews were published later in two Puerto Rico newspapers, the El Mundo, and the Imparcial.
A pleasant surprise followed the interviews, as a group of more than 60 persons from all over the island gathered to welcome the visitors. After much handshaking and welcoming speeches, all had dinner, then proceeded by car to the Church Center in Ponce, a three hour drive from San Juan. This Center is only two years old and is progressing rapidly under the leadership of its Pastor, the Rev. Esther Rodriguez Perez, whom Rev. Camardo had Ordained two years previously.
During the stay in the Island, all meetings were well attended, and many had to be turned away for lack of seating. The people were avid for the billet reading, done by Rev. Camardo, and could not seem to get enough of it. Rev. Herman Brostoff and Rev. Jessie Curl did fine work with their phases of mediumship and instantaneous healing.
Two meetings were held in the town of Mamati, and each Friday services were held at the Center at Guayama, presided over by the well known Anglade family. Also, a number of meetings at the Center of “Obreros del Bien” in Hato Rey, a suburb of San Juan, which is under the leadership of Mrs. Pepita Bosch, one of the Island’s leading Spiritualists. All meetings were to capacity audiences, with many turned away.
On the same day, and for the first time in the history of Spiritualism on the Island, a complete Spiritualist Church Service was broadcast over the radio, one full hour over station WPRA, at the city of Mayaguez. Demonstrations of billet reading by Rev. Camardo, and healings by Rev. Brostoff and Rev. Curl were given to those who attended the radio broadcast.
The several weeks spent in the Island were busy ones for all concerned, as the workers went about from Center to Center serving the people. A parade, held in honor of the visitors was sponsored by various Spiritualist leaders from all over the Island. This was at the town of Guayama, and was followed by a meeting at the Anglade Center there. This means much to the progress of Spiritualism in the Islands, as it brings it more into public attention with recognition as a serious and worthwhile movement.
