18th Region · United States and Canada
Get to know the UDV in the United States
The União do Vegetal in the United States and Canada: our faith, our history, our charitable works and the legal recognition of our religious practice.
União do Vegetal (UDV)
The União do Vegetal (UDV) is a Christian Spiritist religion that originated in Brazil and is now practiced by about 25,000 people in 11 countries. The UDV has received numerous civic awards for its community and environmental service and is recognized as a church under the laws of the United States.
União do Vegetal literally means “the union of the plants.” Adherents drink a tea within their religious services that is made from two plants indigenous to the Brazilian Amazon. The tea, known as Hoasca®, is revered as sacred by UDV members. It is a sacrament serving to heighten spiritual understanding and perception, and bring the practitioners closer to God.
We invite you to explore these pages and to learn more about our faith and the people who practice it.
Explore these pages
- Who we are The core beliefs of the UDV, the people of the União in the United States, and the sacramental Hoasca® Tea.
- Our History The União do Vegetal was created by José Gabriel da Costa, Mestre Gabriel, in the Amazon forest in 1961.
- Charitable Works Charitable outreach is central to the vision of Mestre Gabriel and to the work of the UDV, in Brazil and in the United States.
- Religious Freedom The right of the UDV to practice its faith was unanimously confirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2006. The legal history of the UDV in the United States.
- Frequently Asked Questions Answers to common questions about the UDV, the Hoasca® Tea, our ceremonies and how the União is structured.