Garcia, Ana de Araújo (1904–1996)

By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP

The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.

First Published: January 28, 2020

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Ana de Araújo Garcia, teacher, singer, Bible instructor, and writer, was born June 24, 1904, in the city of Santo Amaro, São Paulo state. Her parents, Luiz Antônio Araújo and Izabel Klein Araújo,¹ had five children, Ana being the youngest.²

In 1912 she studied at the public school in Vila dos Cordeiros (current Brooklin). When she was nine years old, she attended a series of conferences held by Pastor João Lipke, which touched her heart in a permanent way.³ In 1917 Ana’s oldest sister decided to take her to Brazil Adventist College (now referred to as UNASP-SP), where she stayed for two years. In 1919 she moved to Espírito Santo, but the following year she went back to study at Brazil Adventist College where, on October 10, 1920, she was baptized. ⁴

While a student in 1921, Ana Garcia participated in a Friendship Party where she met Jerônimo Granero Garcia, who would become her husband.⁵ In 1924, she graduated from Magisterial School and the next year she began to work as a teacher at the school of the Central Church of São Paulo. She married Jerônimo on February 23, 1926. The ceremony was officiated by Pastor Alberto Haygen in Brooklin, São Paulo.⁶ From this union four children were born: Anice, Flávio, Gilberto, and Helena.⁷

After the wedding the couple first worked in the city of Bertioga, where they visited families who were isolated from the church because of distance.⁸ With her husband, Ana helped as a singer when the pastor and evangelist José Amador dos Reis held a series of conferences in the Brás district of São Paulo.⁹ When her husband was away on business, it was Ana who sang and organized the Sunday night services. Around that time, Anice, her eldest daughter, was born. ¹⁰

They were called to work with Pastor Belz, in a series of conferences in Socorro, São Paulo. When the conferences came to an end, a church was built on a piece of land that Jerônimo had purchased. The couple was called to work in the city of Campinas, but before that, they attended the quadrennial that was held at Brazil Adventist College. During those meetings, Ana’s daughter had an accident which resulted in permanent health problems. In spite of the painful experience, Ana continued to help out with her husband’s work.¹¹

After some time, Ana and Jerônimo were invited to conduct a series of conferences in Araraquara. This time Ana was able to accompany her husband with her voice. A few months later the family went to Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Although her husband had some problems with his first experience as a pastor of an established church, Ana always supported him.¹² Thereafter, they were called to work in the northeast part of Brazil. Despite facing problems at the start, the family settled in the city of Recife. Sometime later, in Arruda District, Jerônimo founded a school and Ana was a teacher.¹³ Still in Arruda District, with the help of some influential people of the region, the Dorcas Society was inaugurated. The society grew so much that, in 1939, they were able to feed and dress more than 250 children.¹⁴

On December 12, 1944, Ana and Jerônimo Garcia’s oldest daughter died at the age of 17. Despite their great suffering, there was still work to do, so about two years later they were called to work in the state of São Paulo again. In 1954 Jerônimo was called to work in Uruguay. This time the couple went alone. Afterwards they were sent to Pará, which gave Ana the opportunity to give Bible studies once more. ¹⁵

Among Ana’s writings are the following books: Homenagem às Mães (1967),¹⁶ Com Juvenis nas Terras Bíblicas (1974), Jerônimo Era Assim (1984), and two handouts for Children’s Weeks of Prayer (1979), in partnership with Iracema Xavier dos Santos.¹⁷ After her husband’s death on June 30, 1974, Ana did her first Children’s Week of Prayer, even with no previous experience. Throughout her life, Ana did 33 Children’s Weeks of Prayer and took part in three Vacation Bible Schools.¹⁸

She passed away on June 16, 1966, at the age of 92, in the city of São Paulo.¹⁹ Ana stood out in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church by working tirelessly alongside her husband in Rio Grande do Sul, Northeast Brazil Mission, São Paulo, and IAE (now referred to as UNASP-SP). She was an exemplary mother, preacher, writer, teacher, and Bible instructor. She was also known for her devotion to the needy.

Sources

“Ana Araújo Garcia.” Memória Adventista, September 2013. Accessed May 23, 2018, http://www.memoriaadventista.com.br.

“Ana Araújo Garcia.” Revista Adventista, year 92, no. 9, September 1996, 30. Accessed May 23, 2018, http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br.

Garcia, Ana Araújo. Jerônimo Era Assim. 1st edition, Santo André, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 1984.

Helga Nogueira. “Mulher de valor.” Revista Adventista, year 93, no. 2, February 1997, 11. Accessed May 23, 2018,http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br.

“Homenagem às mães,” Revista Adventista, year 63, no. 4, April 1968, 15. Accessed May 23, 2018,http://acervo.revistaadventista.com.br.

Viegas, Lázaro Lothammer. “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia.” Monography, Brazil Adventist College, 1988.

Notes

“Ana Araújo Garcia,” Memória Adventista, September 2013, accessed May 28, 2018.↩
Lázaro Lothammer Viegas, “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia” (Monography, Brazil Adventist College, 1988), 3.↩
Ibid., 4-5.↩
Ibid., 5.↩
Ana Araújo Garcia, Jerônimo Era Assim (Santo André, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 1984), 29-30.↩
Lázaro Lothammer Viegas, “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia” (Monography, Brazil Adventist University, 1988), 6-7.↩
Nogueira, Helga, “Mulher de valor,” Revista Adventista, year 93, no. 2, February 1997, 11.↩
Ana Araújo Garcia, Jerônimo Era Assim (Santo André, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 1984), 35.↩
Ibid., 37.↩
Lázaro Lothammer Viegas, “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia” (Monography, Brazil Adventist University, 1988), 8-9.↩
Ibid., 9-10.↩
Ibid., 12-13.↩
Ana Araújo Garcia, Jerônimo Era Assim (Santo André, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 1984), 90.↩
Lázaro Lothammer Viegas, “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia” (Monography, Brazil Adventist University, 1988), 15-16.↩
Ibid, 16, 18.↩
“Homenagem às Mães,” Revista Adventista, year 63, no. 4, April 1968, 15.↩
Lázaro Lothammer Viegas, “Vida e Obras da Senhora Ana Garcia” (Monography, Brazil Adventist University, 1988), 22.↩
Ibid., 19-20.↩
“Ana Araújo Garcia,” Revista Adventista, year 92, no. 9, September 1996, 30.↩