Bahá’í World/Volume 9/The Story of the Bahá’í Faith in Cuba
29.
THE STORY OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH IN CUBA
BY EUGENIO GINÉS
IN the beginning of the year 1939, Cuba had not yet received the great privilege, which months after was given to us by the lovable pioneers, Mr. Phillip Marangella and his wife, carriers of the Light that some time later was to illumine the path of the receptive souls who met them. Is there a greater privilege than knowing the true words of God? Phillip and Laili began to teach them to us, and instantly the emptiness of our hearts began to be filled with love, with that love which the world had exiled from our hearts.
The first ray of light from the sun of truth fell on Perfecto Perez, who became the first Bahá’í in Cuba. Since then there has been great progress in the number of believers, so that before Phillip left here sixteen people had signed their declaration to become Bahá’ís, only one of these being a woman and all but four under twenty-five years. Eugenio Ginés was the first to accept the Teachings, but Perfecto Perez was first to sign.
Some of these had left the city, others lost contact with the group, so that when Mrs. Emogene Hoagg, who came here to take over the pioneer work, arrived, only a few remained, not enough to form an assembly. Mrs. Hoagg deepened the friends in their understanding.
Mrs. Hoagg and Miss Josephine Kruka, who came the following year, held classes twice a week and started to teach English to the believers. Besides this she held fireside meetings at her home on 15 Ave. and C St. in Vedado, and made very important contacts. She gave a public address on the Cause at the "Woman’s Club of Havana.” A good article appeared on it in “The Havana Post.” Mrs. Hoagg was here until April 20th, 1941.
We were honored by many visitors, as Mr. and Mrs. W. M. De Forge, from Englewood, N. J., Assembly; Miss Margaret Lentz, who stopped here on her way to Santo Domingo, where she was to pioneer; Mr. Bernard Weissman of Brooklyn, who made us a short visit.
In August, 1940, Mrs. Angelein R. Giachery and her husband, Mr. Ugo K. Giachery, who had been in the Italian army under the Italian King, made us an appreciated visit. Mrs. Viola M. Bower of Brooklyn visited us in the year 1940. Mr. William Harrison (of Miami Assembly) came from the Isle of Pines, Cuba, for the Riḍván Feast, 1942.
Miss Clara Weir came to Havana to attend a Teachers’ Convention. Miss Weir gave a talk to the group and was very active in contacting those she met at the convention—especially several young students, who later frequently came to Mrs. Hoagg’s fireside meetings. One of these young men received a 20 months scholarship in an aviation school in the United States and is still there. Another is in the Cuban Navy.
We had the great blessing of a visit from Mrs. Corinne True and her two daughters, Dr. Katherine True and Miss Edna True. The Trues all addressed the group which was hastily gathered at our Center. It was an inspiration indeed to hear them; we relived the early days of our Blessed Cause in America and marvelled at the intrepid, stalwart, and pure souls of this small band of devout and ardent believers, whose complete reliance on Bahá’u’lláh taught us a lesson.
The Local Spiritual Assembly was organized on April 21, 1942, with twelve members, five being from one family; we still have only twelve, but hope soon to expand. This first Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in the following way: Sr. Perfecto Perez, Chairman; Sra. Victoria Saura, Vice-chairman; Sr. Eugenio Ginés, Secretary; Sr. Carlos Ortiz, Acting Secretary; Sra. Marta Toledo de Perez, Treasurer; Sr. Julio Perez, Sr. Nadji Haim, Sra. Victoria Prado de Perez, Sr. Mario Rodriguez. A daily record of the attendance has been kept since April, 1941.
To date over 400 people have inscribed their names in our guest book, most of these being children and youths.
The Bahá’í Center of Havana, Cuba, was opened by the Marangellas, on July 28, 1940, in the beautiful Spanish Colonial Public Building, "Palacio Pedroso,” Cuba 64, Room 9. This was built in 1841 as a “Casa de Audencia” (Court House). Our room is between two lovely "patios,” the larger palm-bedecked at the front and a smaller but interesting one at the rear. The American Chamber of Commerce, the Cuban branch of the American Red Cross, the Ford Motor Company, all have headquarters in the same building. The building is in a beautiful location, overlooking parks and broad highways, with a view of the gulf and the Morro Castle.
Miss Jean Silver arrived on April 11, 1943, to pioneer in Cuba. She has been an indefatigable worker pressing ever onward in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. There has been a steady growth in the children’s classes. This has decidedly augmented since Miss Silver’s arrival. At present we hold three children’s classes twice a week—one for all, another for beginners, and an advanced class. The children say with love and fervor the Greatest Name and the prayers, and sing the Bahá’í songs in English. Most of them wish to become Bahá’í teachers. One of our members is a young Arabian whose uncles are Bahá’ís in Baghdád and who was not permitted by his parents to investigate the Teachings. He owned a farm at Haifa at one time.
For two summers, 1941 and 1942, we carried on alone and succeeded, as the records show. At first we met twice a week, but after the children’s classes were organized, the Center was used every day but Saturday. The children met twice a week for English and twice a week for the Bahá’í Teachings, but the English class usually turned out to be a Bahá’í class on account of the enthusiasm of the children.
Esperanto was taught for a while, but the class disbanded because the young people preferred English.
The Bahá’í Teachings in Cuba are beginning to show fruits of the tree, whose seed had been planted in our land by the lovable hands of the Bahá’í pioneers. We can say with pride that Cuba also has reached the true teachings of the knowledge of God.
