Vieira, Galdino Nunes (1896–1983)

Galdino Nunes Vieira, physician, was born March 22, 1896, in the region of Pontas do Salso, in the city of São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.¹ He was the son of João Afonso Nunes Vieira² and Arlinda Nunes Vieira.³

He spent his early years of childhood in the rural region of Pontas do Salso. His mother was his first teacher. He attended elementary school, with Aninhas Menezes as his teacher,⁴ at São Gabriel.⁵ When he was eight years old, he contracted a severe case of trachoma and ocular disease⁶ which prevented him from attending school again until he was 15. Nevertheless, contrary to medical guidance, he secretly studied at home, showing an early academic inclination. He studied the first years of gymnasium at Gonzaga, in the city of Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul (1911-1913).⁷ In 1914, the family moved to Porto Alegre where he finished high school and took classes at a private school in the city in preparation for college entrance exams.⁸ At the end of the year he enrolled in the Porto Alegre Medical School⁹ and graduated in 1920.¹⁰

In 1922 he married Ondina Miranda Vieira¹¹ (1898-1982)¹² whom he met when he was in his first year of college.¹³ From this union were born seven children: Ivonne, Neide, Ruth, Júlia, Carlos, Alceu, and Hebe Vieira.¹⁴

Galdino was born into a non-religious family.¹⁵ He was a student of the Jesuits, studied materialistic philosophies, and had contact with spiritism. He met Adventism through a patient called Haroldo de Castro Lobo, in the city of Xavantes, São Paulo,¹⁶ who gave him denominational literature (including a book entitled Doze Grandes Sinais da Volta de Cristo) and sent him several missionary letters. As a result, Galdino and his wife were baptized by Pastor Arthur Westphal in 1932 in the city of Taquara, Rio Grande do Sul. ¹⁷

In 1940 he began to serve the Adventist denomination by teaching physics, chemistry, science, and natural history at Taquara Academy (now Cruzeiro do Sul Adventist Academy).¹⁸ Since his baptism he wanted to become a medical missionary. The opportunity came when he was called by the São Paulo Conference to work as a physician at Brazil College (1941-1949).¹⁹ Simultaneously, he was clinical director of Casa de Saúde Liberdade (now São Paulo Adventist Hospital) (1943-1948).²⁰ In addition, he was frequently invited to lecture on health in the churches.²¹ In 1950 he became the first clinical director of Silvestre Adventist Hospital in the state of Rio de Janeiro, a position he held for a year and a half.²² Simultaneously he worked as a physician at Petrópolis Adventist Academy in 1950 and 1951.²³ In 1952²⁴ he was invited to become director of Good Hope Clinic where he practiced for the rest of his career,²⁵ retiring in 1959.²⁶ Beyond his clinical activities, Galdino also contributed to Adventist publications. For 16 years he was editor of the review Vida e Saúde, published by the Brazilian Publishing House (1942 to 1957).²⁷

He also helped to establish the Adventist church in his hometown, Pontas do Salso, Rio Grande do Sul. He paid the salary of the first local Adventist teacher and was involved in raising funds for the construction of the school. He also donated the property where the local Adventist church sits today.²⁸

After his retirement Galdino devoted himself to writing books and articles. He wrote the following books: Amor, Sexo e Erotismo (1976)²⁹ and Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas (1983),³⁰ an autobiography. He died on October 31, 1983, at the age of 87 in the city of Porto Alegre.³¹

Sources

Anísio Chagas. “Cliente ganha médico para a verdade.” Revista Adventista, year 73, May 1978, 25. Accessed November 9, 2017, available on http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/capas.cpb

“Dormiram no Senhor.” Revista Adventista, year 77, June 1982, 32. Accessed November 9, 2017, available on http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/capas.cpb

F. C. Webster. “Nova capela.” Revista Adventista, year 49, March 1954, 12. Accessed November 9, 2017, available on http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/capas.cpb

“Falecimentos Dr. Galdino Nunes Vieira (1896-1983).” Revista Adventista, year 78, December 1983, 26. Accessed November 9, 2017, available on http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/capas.cpb

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1958, 1960.

Vieira, Carlos Nunes. “A bem da justiça.” Revista Adventista, year 79, April 1984, 3. Accessed November 9, 2017, available on http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br/capas.cpb

Vieira, Galdino Nunes, Amor, Sexo e Erotismo, third edition. Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1977.

Vieira, Galdino Nunes, Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas, first edition. Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1983.

Notes

1. “Falecimentos: Dr. Galdino Vieira (1896-1983),” Revista Adventista, year 78, December 1983, 26.↩

2. Galdino Nunes Vieira, Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas (Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1983), 21.↩

3. Ibid., 34.↩

4. Ibid., 42.↩

5. Ibid., 32.↩

6. Ibid., 34.↩

7. Ibid., 42-48.↩

8. Ibid., 48-49.↩

9. Ibid., 50.↩

10. “Falecimentos: Dr. Galdino Vieira (1896-1983),” Revista Adventista, 26.↩

11. Ibid.↩

12. “Ondina Miranda Vieira,” Revista Adventista, year 77, June 1982, 32.↩

13. Vieira, Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas, 188-189.↩

14. “Ondina Miranda Vieira,” Revista Adventista, June 1982, 32.↩

15. Vieira, Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas, 103.↩

16. Anízio Chagas, “Cliente ganha médico para a verdade, ” Revista Adventista, year 73, May 1978, 25.↩

17. Ibid.↩

18. “Taquara Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 293.↩

19. “Brazil Junior College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1942), 202; and “Brazil College,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1950), 246.↩

20. “São Paulo Clinic,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1949), 308.↩

21. “Falecimentos: Dr. Galdino Vieira (1896-1983),” Revista Adventista, 26.↩

22. Ibid.↩

23. “East Brazil Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1951), 249; “East Brazil Academy,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1952), 237.↩

24. “Good Samaritan Clinic,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1953), 290.↩

25. Carlos Nunes Vieira, “Cartas & Roteiro: A bem da justiça, Revista Adventista, year 79, April 1984, 3; and “Good Hope Clinic,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958), 266.↩

26. “South Brazil Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1960), 166.↩

27. “Publishing Houses,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1943), 251; “Publishing Houses,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1958), 282.↩

28. Webster, F. C., “Nova Capela,” Revista Adventista, March 1954, 12.↩

29. Galdino Nunes Vieira, Amor, Sexo e Erotismo (Santo André, SP: Casa Publicadora Brasileira, 1976), 288.↩

30. Vieira, Sonhos Sonhados, Realidades Vividas, 208.↩

31. “Falecimentos: Dr. Galdino Vieira (1896-1983),” Revista Adventista, year 78, December 1983, 26.↩