Resumo:
This dissertation is a qualitative study of an Umbanda community in the city of Fazenda Rio
Grande, Paraná. It seeks to highlight the modes of care that mark the relationships between
the people who circulate in the terreiro and the preta-velha spirit Vovó Maria Conga. By
analyzing the relationship between Mother Neli de Oxalá and Vovó Maria Conga, it describes
the ways in which the old woman acts in the Temple of Oxalá, in the life stories of the women
who are in charge of the terreiro and shaping the possible meanings of doing umbanda in
contemporary Brazil. As a result, this research contributes to reflections on Afro-Brazilian
religions in Paraná based on the narratives of black women whose lives are intertwined with a
spiritual guide who provides care practices inside and outside the terreiro.
