“Nova Jerusalém” is the title given by Padrinho Sebastião to the book of hymns that, after more than four years without receiving hymns, being concluded the hinário “O Justiceiro”, was open in the Céu do Mapiá in 1983. The first hymn, “O Convite”, was received after a work, together with his sister-in-law Madrinha Júlia. It was then created the instance of the “given hymn”, or “offered”, nonexistent before because according to Mestre Irineu each one should be totally responsible for the flowers (hymns) received in the form of songs in ones trajectory in the Doctrine.
The first hymn was offered to Madrinha Júlia, and from there onwards the next hymns were all dedicated to the people of the Mapiá fraternity, being concluded with the hymn 26, that Padrinho would dedicate to his future son-in-law, Padrinho Paulo Roberto, of the church of the Céu do Mar.
It is justified this “hymns donation” or “endowment” by the fact of Padrinho having his hinário (O Justiceiro) complete, in other words, closed, and to want to proceed with his teachings, offering it to the closest followers, reason why the new book of hymns was created. Actually, after many tribulations to find a place in the jungle to where he could be establish in definitive with his fraternity, Padrinho Sebastião considered life in the Céu do Mapiá a new time, and it is around this “new church” that his utmost hymns would be dedicated.
Source: Eduardo Bayer, in Cadernos de Hinário.