A Spiritist Center in New York City by Ed Crespo Director of The Spiritist Society of Florida

El Centro Libertad del Espiritismo was established in 1933 by Mr. Luis and Mrs. Pilar Perez, practicing Spiritists from Puerto Rico, who migrated to New York City in the early 1930's. I attended the Spiritist Center when I was a very young child, and later, as an adult, worked as one of their mediums.

Around 1933, Mrs. Perez started conducting Spiritist educational classes and classes for mediums in their home. The Group organized and decided to establish their own official Spiritist Center. They eventually bought their own building through membership contributions.  Mrs. Perez assumed the Directorship of the Center and held it until her demise around 1980. She was the most qualified to hold that position due to her educational background and the fact she was a full working medium of the first caliber and  very well respected.

The building that was bought was three stories high. The top floor was where the Spiritist services and classes were held, the second floor was used for the Spiritist Center festivities or rented out for private affairs. The ground floor level had several stores: a candy story, a dry cleaner service and a stationary store which all paid rent to the Center. These rents eventually paid for the building until it was completely owned by the Center. Upkeep of the building was paid for through membership dues and rental income.

The Spiritist Center conducted children classes on Sunday morning of which approximately thirty children attended. Sunday afternoon at 2 PM classes were held for the general public regarding the Spiritist Doctrine. On Monday, classes were given for beginning mediums. A special meeting only for mediums was held on Wednesdays. On Fridays, the meetings were open to the public, with an attendance of from thirty to forty people attending. Attendees were interested in the Spiritist Doctrine and/or those persons who came because they felt that possibly they were experiencing problems of a spiritual nature. All classes and services were always free of charge.

At the mediums table, only full developed mediums were used. Some of the mediums had a speciality. My mother was a medium for problems of the sight and there was one which was used mostly for children. The other mediums gave communications to the people in the audience. Most of the time there were at least six mediums working. The mediums provided spirit communications, magnetized water for personal use and for the home, and gave magnetic passes. All services and class instructions strictly adhered to Professor Kardec's works and his books were the ones used.

The Spiritist Center had between forty-five to sixty-five dues paying members. The majority were of Latin descent, as well as the general public who visited. Every Year, during the summer months, the Center held a parade down Madison Avenue, they rented tour boats for travel down the Hudson River, and buses were chartered so we could attend state park picnics. Holidays were always celebrated with food and festivities. For many families, the Center provided a wonderful social, as well as rich, spiritual environment.

I  attended the Center when I was about five years old with my mother (I am seventy three years of age now). Besides attending regular services, my Mother and I went weekly on Wednesdays so she could fulfill her mediumship duties while I slept in the back of the room. My father at one time served as the Center's Treasurer. I have very fond memories of attending the Center's classes and  activities, which I will always cherish.

At age seventeen, I joined the army for a period of three years, during this time I could not attend. After leaving the service and getting married, I started attending the Center around 1954 on holidays and special occasions. Eventually, I started my mediumship, attended classes, and became a working medium at the Center. In 1961, due to a change in careers, I had to move with my family to Florida.

Many years later, a group of members moved  back to Puerto Rico as a satellite group of the Center. In New York City, many families moved and the older members passed away. Although the Center does not have as many members as in the past, it still exists to the present day, and I continue to correspond with them.