Bahá’í News/Issue 511/Text
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| No. 511 | BAHA’I YEAR 130 | OCTOBER, 1973 |
House of Worship repairs undertaken
Emogene Hoagg, an exemplary pioneer
A working holiday in the villages of France
[Page 2]
Page 4
Page 22
Page 15
| CONTENTS |
Hand of the Cause dies | page 3 |
Architect Seat House of Justice chosen | page 3 |
House of Worship repairs undertaken | page 4 |
Emogene Hoagg, an exemplary pioneer | page 6 |
The Great Safari in the Seychelles | page 12 |
Celebrate first mention Faith U.S. | page 15 |
Around the World | page 16 |
Travel teaching in Africa | page 21 |
A working holiday in the villages of France | page 22 |
| COVER PHOTO |
Cleaning the steps of the House of Worship to match those newly repaired.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community.
BAHÁ’Í NEWS is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee.
Material must be received by the twenty-fifth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.
Change of address should be reported directly to Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center. 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. U.S.A. 60091.
Architect chosen for Seat House of Justice[edit]
DELIGHTED ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT HUSAYN AMANAT BRILLIANT YOUNG BAHA’I ARCHITECT CRADLE FAITH AS ARCHITECT OF BUILDING FOR UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
SHARE ANNOUNCEMENT ALL FRIENDS PLEASE PUBLISH FOREGOING BAHA’I NEWS
Haifa
September 18, 1973
Mrs. Shows passes after brief illness[edit]
The United States Bahá’í community, and hundreds of Bahá’ís who have served as pioneers abroad since the beginning of the Second Seven Year Plan, particularly Europe, will be grieved to learn of the passing on July 21 of Mrs. Julia Shows following a very brief last illness. A future issue of Bahá’í News will carry an In Memoriam article concerning Mrs. Shows’ many years of devoted service on committees and to pioneers who remember her with great love and admiration. On the occasion of her passing The Universal House of Justice cabled July 24, 1973 as follows:
ASSURE PRAYERS PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM LOYAL DEVOTED BELIEVER JULIA SHOWS GRATEFULLY RECALL HER CONSISTENT LOVING SERVICE GOALS CAUSE;
Mrs. Struven visited Master in Holy Land[edit]
On August 2, 1973, Mrs. Hebe Struven of Fryeburg, Maine, ascended to the Abhá Kingdom. Mrs. Ruby Jean Struven, affectionately known as Hebe, was the youngest sister of Mrs. Lua Getsinger and had the great privilege of visiting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá while He was still in prison in ‘Akká, Palestine, in 1908. From that time her life was dedicated to the furtherance of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and many are the believers who first heard the mention of the Faith from her.
Distinguished pioneer dies at Europe post[edit]
The following cablegram from The Universal House of Justice dated August 13, 1973, announces the passing of another valiant pioneer and very early American Bahá’í:
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING ANNA KUNZ STEADFAST DISTINGUISHED HANDMAID BAHA’U’LLAH HER ASSOCIATIONS BELOVED PIONEERING SERVICES EUROPE OVER EXTENDED PERIOD UNFORGETTABLE ADVISING GERMAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERING MOTHER TEMPLE EUROPE PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HER SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
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Hand Cause Ferraby dies unexpectedly The Hand of the Cause John Ferraby passed away suddenly on September 5. The following cablegram was sent by The Universal House of Justice: REGRET PASSING HAND CAUSE JOHN FERRABY. RECALL LONG SERVICE FAITH BRITISH ISLES CROWNED ELEVATION RANK HAND CAUSE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION BAHAI LITERATURE THROUGH HIS BOOK ALL THINGS MADE NEW. REQUESTING BEFITTING GATHERING MASHRIQULADHKARS MEMORIAL ALL COMMUNITIES BAHAI WORLD. With Loving Bahá’í greetings,
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
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AN AERIAL VIEW of the House of Worship. The stairs repaired are those above the entranceway in the center of the photograph.
MR. CHARLES ABERCROMBIE of Greenville, South Carolina, puts the finishing touches on one of the steps.
House of Worship repairs undertaken[edit]
Essential repair and maintenance work on the House Worship in Wilmette, long delayed by the need to expend available funds in winning the teaching and consolidation goals of the Nine Year Plan, has been ordered by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
Repair of a section of 18 steps on the Linden Avenue side of the Temple was completed in August. The remaining steps encircling the Temple were cleaned in early September to have them match the concrete and stone of the new ones.
Workmen recently completed cleaning and painting the steel frame of the Temple dome; and the metal handrails on the grounds of the House of Worship were also treated to a new coat of paint. A portion of the upper dome was caulked and sealed to make it watertight, and at least ten badly damaged glass panes have been replaced.
This preliminary work is part of a more extensive schedule of repairs that must be undertaken over the next several years to renovate the House of Worship.
Although recent architectural surveys indicate the Temple is structurally sound, some routine repairs which would normally have been undertaken from year to year, were postponed because of the degree to which the financial resources of the American Bahá’í community were committed to winning the world-wide goals of the Nine Year Plan.
Among those repairs that must now be undertaken are the restoration of the concrete apron that serves as a walkway around the perimeter of the Temple, which has settled and cracked in places because of the movement of the earth beneath it; the reupholstering or replacement of chairs in the House of Worship auditorium; the replacement of unstable canvas chairs in Foundation Hall; the rehanging of drapes in the clerestory of the House of Worship; and the painting of the upper-level and the water-damaged ceiling of the Temple auditorium.
[Page 5]
WORKMEN LABOR to finish work on steps without inconvenience to thousands of people visiting this summer.
On April 16, 1973, The Universal House of Justice contributed $20,000 on behalf of the entire Bahá’í world to the projected Temple work. The National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada, Alaska and Hawaii soon followed this lead. Canada pledged $20,000 to the effort during the current year; Hawaii promised $25,000 over a five-year period; and Alaska offered between $1,000 and $2,000 per year, and more if possible.
Many of the needed improvements are the natural consequence of the great attraction the Temple has had for visitors since its dedication in 1953, and the use the facilities have received from the more than three million people who have traveled here. The reupholstering or replacement of chairs in the auditorium, purchased more than two decades ago for approximately $25 each, is one example of this type of repair. Another might be the necessity the large stream of people has created to carpet, and place a ceiling over, the Foundation Hall exhibit area, not only to improve its appearance, but to muffle the noise generated by large groups congregating to view the Bahá’í displays. In 1972 alone the number of visitors exceeded 200,000 people. Between August and September of this year more than 75,000 people made the journey to Wilmette to see the Temple and its surroundings.
Now that the Nine Year Plan has been accomplished the National Spiritual Assembly feels the stage has been reached in which the care of Bahá’í properties in the United States must be placed on a sound financial basis.
To begin to undertake the necessary repairs, and to allow for money to be set aside to provide a general maintenance fund for systematic future use, a larger share of the 1973 US national budget has been allocated to the care and maintenance of Bahá’í properties, particularly those at the National Center. Of the total $2.5 million US budget, $576,000 has been set aside for Bahá’í properties. A substantial portion of this allocation has been earmarked for improvements on the Temple itself.
WORK WAS ALSO done in the Dome of the Temple. In the photograph men scrub and paint the steel structure supporting the ornamental exterior.
Emogene Hoagg, an exemplary pioneer[edit]
By Amine De Mille
Emogene Hoagg was a pioneer before the term was coined. She was a traveling teacher in days when travel was far more expensive and uncomfortable and difficult than now. She was fortunate to have wealth to finance those long sea voyages, and to allow her to give her full time to teaching; to make pilgrimage after pilgrimage to the Holy Land, when it was almost a necessity to visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for information, due to the lack of translations of the Tablets and Books of Bahá’u’lláh.
Emogene Martin, at twenty, married a well-to-do engineer, John Ketchie Hoagg, son of a New York Dutchman, who had made a fortune in flour mills. By the winter of 1944, when she came to spend nine months with us in Chevy Chase, Maryland, she had been traveling for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for forty-seven years. Now, a widow whose health was broken by repeated heart attacks and bouts with pneumonia, whose fortune was almost expended, she retained a mind and spirit so vibrant and alert that it was difficult to believe she was seventy-seven years old.
Her eyes fascinated me. They were of a gemlike blue, that flashed with brilliance. I came to believe that their brilliance was due to a half century’s contemplation of the Holy Face of her beloved Master, whom she had visited so many times in both ‘Akká and Haifa; and to her keen and creative intellect as it applied itself to her monumental compilation, “The Three Conditions of Existence: Servitude, Prophethood and Deity”—that fruit of her life, the labor of love upon which she labored for many years, sick or well, finishing it only a few days before her death. After her passing I offered to type this manuscript and it was mailed to me in a bulky leather satchel. It took me four years to type it, check the thousands of scriptural references with the texts, and correct all four copies.
During the time she was with us, Emogene was often ill. As she lay on her pillows, frail and white, her writing materials put away for a while, I would sit in her room and ask her about her life, and take notes.
By birth and temperament, Emogene Hoagg was endowed with the qualities that made her one of the great Bahá’í teachers. Her maternal ancestor, John Drew, migrated to the American Colonies from England on the Mayflower; her grandfather, George Zacharias Hodges and his wife, Eliza, left their comfortable Boston home to settle in the frontier state of Virginia, where he became a Colonel in the southern army. Her father, a medical doctor, left Nashville in 1848, during the gold rush, to make the long sea voyage around the Horn to California. He never returned East. He married Maria Frances Hodges, and settled in a little mining town called Copperopolis, where Emogene was born September 27, 1869.
She was religious from childhood, she told me, although her parents had no church affiliation, a most unusual independence in those days of orthodox conformity. There were two churches in town, the Catholic and the Congregationalist. She joined the latter, attended regularly, and played the piano for the services.
As she grew older, her faith underwent a change. Disturbing questions began presenting themselves to her mind as she sat through the long sermons on Sunday mornings. Why did the good God of all men love only Christians? This did not seem right or just since He had created all of the other people too. Although she continued to attend church as usual, her faith was shaken by these inner promptings, and she began thinking of herself as an agnostic.
At eighteen, she went away to school to San Francisco, where she entered the Irving Institute, a fashionable seminary for young ladies. She studied voice and languages, both of which she continued through private lessons after her marriage. She became quite a linguist during her later Bahá’í travels, speaking and writing Italian, French, German, Spanish and even Persian. She translated Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, Wisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Hidden Words into Italian; helped with the translation of the Kitáb-i-’Ahd and the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá into German; and assisted with the French edition of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.
After several years of childless marriage, Emogene
| In a time when it was difficult to know the true Teachings in depth because of the absence of printed literature, the believers were dependent upon word-of-mouth instructions from the pilgrims. |
persuaded her husband to allow her to accompany a family friend to Milan, and to continue her voice studies in Italy for a year. It was upon her return home in 1898, while on a visit to Mrs. Phoebe Apperson Hearst, the wife of Senator George Hearst, in Pleasanton, California, that Emogene found the answer to all her early religious questionings, and the Cause that directed her every thought and activity for the rest of her life. Lua and Edward Getsinger were also guests in the home, and it was through them that she learned of the coming of the new Messenger for this Day, and of His explanations of all the contradictions and perplexing spiritual problems that had beset her in her teens. She was one of the fortunate souls, she told me, who could recognize the truth instantly and, accepting it wholly, never again be troubled by doubts.
In a time when it was difficult to know the true Teachings in depth because of the absence of printed literature, the believers were dependent upon word-of-mouth instructions from the pilgrims on their return from the Holy Land. Many misconceptions and half-truths were circulated, sometimes unintentionally, causing great divisions and crises among the tiny American communities.
Before her first pilgrimage Emogene was caught in the middle of one of these tempests, prompted by the disobedience of the Syrian doctor Ibrahim Khayr’u’lláh, who came to Chicago in 1894 to lecture on the Faith. Khayr’u’lláh was a dynamic speaker, a magnetic personality, and he was able to attract many seekers. Emogene heard of his fascinating expositions on the return of Christ and went to Chicago to attend them.
In his lectures Dr. Khayr’u’lláh called ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Reincarnation of Jesus Christ. The doctrine of reincarnation was very popular, particularly among the Theosophists who attended his classes. He hoped to make Bahá’ís of these people by incorporating their doctrines into his talks, although he was warned by the other Bahá’ís, as well as by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to stop teaching this erroneous theory. Instead of altering his approach, he wrote a book called Babu’d-Din, further elaborating his doctrine. Finally, he determined to take his book to ‘Akká, hoping to persuade ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to endorse it. In 1898 he was invited by Mrs. Hearst to join her party on pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
When he returned to Chicago, his book rejected and under instructions to discontinue his teaching, he turned away from the Faith, taking others with him. It was a time of sifting. The faithful, who remained unshaken, became the nucleus of the true believers in America.
Emogene, whose faith was unshaken, rounded out the story with a footnote: Mrs. Khayr’u’lláh, the wife of this deluded doctor, also made the pilgrimage and wrote from ‘Akká, “Forget everything you have been taught except that Bahá’u’lláh came and has passed away. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Center of the Covenant, is here, but He is not the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.”
It was a relief, Emogene told us, to leave America and return to Milan. Forced to seek another voice teacher she went on to Paris where, to her delight, she found the first French group of Bahá’ís. This little community, founded by May Ellis Bolles, pioneer to that country, and devoted to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s every word and wish, was a haven of peace and unity after America. Here she met Helen Cole, who invited her to accompany her and Alma Albertson on pilgrimage. In November 1900 they set sail for Haifa.
At this time the Holy Family was living in the House of ‘Abbúd in the town of ‘Akká. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá sent his carriage, drawn by three horses and driven by the devoted Isfandíyár, to Haifa to meet the pilgrims. They were to proceed directly to the Tomb of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí, some miles along the coast, before meeting Him in ‘Akká. As they drove along the shore the ladies chanted prayers. At the Tomb, they were met by the Greatest Holy Leaf and Zia Khánum, the eldest daughter of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who lovingly welcomed them and led them into that holy spot.
Later at the door of His house in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá welcomed them with great warmth and love. The bedroom into which she was ushered was decorated with utmost simplicity. Its only furnishing was a cot. Here, she slept for ten nights in perfect comfort, unconscious of anything lacking. Those were days of bliss, surrounded by the kindness of the ladies of the household and of the Master, who met with them every day, instructing them in the divine Message bequeathed to a dying civilization by His Father.
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The Guardian called her, “the most erudite of her generation.” |
Toward the end of the visit ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called Emogene to Him and told her He wished her to go to Port Said, where the noted Persian scholar Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl would instruct her in the Bible and the Bahá’í interpretation of this Holy Book. Upon arrival at Port Said she began her lessons with the teacher whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá loved and admired so dearly that He entrusted him with the instruction of many of the infant communities of the West. She met with him twice a day for a month. Her studies were carried on through interpreters.
“It was not without difficulty that I got the explanation,” she later wrote. “Sometimes Nur’u’lláh Effendi would give me the meaning in Italian, and at other times Aḥmad Yazdí Effendi would translate into French. Then I would put their words into English. After about two weeks Anton Effendi Haddád was sent to Port Said, and he translated directly into English.” (The Bahá’í World, Vol. X, p. 520.)
These lessons set the pattern for all her future service in the Faith. She became henceforth a student of the Holy Scriptures, not only of the Bahá’í and Judeo-Christian Dispensations, but also of the other world religions so little known in the West at that time. So faithful was she in her studies that the Guardian later called her “the most erudite of her generation.”
Returning to Europe from Port Said in February 1901, she stayed for a short while in Paris. She told us of one day spent with the friends in the apartment of Marie Hopper. It was decided to meet for a whole day of prayer and chanting the Greatest Name ninety-five times ninety-five. When she arrived, she found a curtain hung in the middle of the room, the women seated on one side and the men on the other. Just why the people of the New Day should want to perpetuate the old Eastern
| Teaching during those first years was slow. It was generally felt that meetings should be made very sacred, so the Faith would not become one of the ‘isms’. |
custom of segregation of the sexes Emogene could not fathom, but being a newcomer she quietly took her seat and began to pray. When recounting this story Emogene laughed on remembering that the chanting was interrupted at noon for lunch.
But soon she was filled with the desire to see her family and share with the friends in America her great experiences in the Holy Land. What was her joy on the steamer homeward bound to find Lua Getsinger’s name on the passenger list. They had a delightful trip together and many heard of the coming of the Messenger of the New Age.
When she landed in New York, she learned that Mírzá Abu’l-Faḍl had been sent to America to teach and was at Green Acre, the estate near Eliot, Maine, which Miss Sarah Farmer had that year converted into a new kind of institution based on the Bahá’í Message. He had been sent to counteract the harm done by Dr. Khayr’u’lláh. With her friend, Helen Cole, she spent some time at Green Acre before crossing the continent.
Back in San Francisco she found a group of the friends meeting in the home of Mrs. Helen S. Goodall and her daughter, Ella Cooper, in Oakland. Under her tutelage, regular weekly classes were established. Later, when the Goodalls went on pilgrimage, Emogene conducted these in her own home, adding a second weekly meeting for deeper study.
Teaching during those first years was slow. It was generally felt that meetings should be made very sacred, so the Faith would not become one of the “isms” flowering profusely in America at the turn of the century. The Message was spread guardedly by word of mouth. Publicity was considered worldly and even dangerous. The fanatical and prejudiced shunned the Bahá’ís, refusing to contemplate such revolutionary, even sacrilegious ideas, and associate with these socially unacceptable people. Although in the Western Hemisphere the believers were not physically harmed, nor was their property pillaged and confiscated as in the East, yet they endured, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had predicted, a mental and emotional torture and a social ostracism. Emogene was fortunate that her mother, sister and brother-in-law joined the Faith, but there is no record that her husband ever became a Bahá’í.
In the absence of Mrs. Goodall in November of 1907, Emogene represented California at a consultation meeting in the home of Mrs. Corinne True in Chicago. Nine communities responded to the call for the purpose of initiating the Bahá’í Temple work. Mrs. True has recorded: “Emogene’s flaming spirit of devotion was one of the pioneer pillars to accomplish that great step in the progress of the Faith in this country.”
In 1912, during the great event of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s American tour Emogene was with Him as often and for as long a period of time as she could manage. She begged Him to include California in His itinerary and she felt that it was she who finally persuaded Him to make that long, tiring journey. While He was there she served Him in every capacity within her power and called herself His “bell boy”. She was with Him for His three-week visit to the beautiful mountain summer resort in Dublin, New Hampshire, at the invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Parsons. From there she followed Him to Green Acre where He spent much of His time “countering the effects of the eccentric ideas being disseminated by various pseudo-mystics and cranks who were attracted to the free platform provided there.”
Upon ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s return to the Middle East she wrote almost at once for permission to follow. When permission arrived she was ill and bedridden, but insisted on starting out immediately nonetheless. Her husband refused to allow her to travel alone, so she invited a friend to accompany her, and they set out for Alexandria, Egypt, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and His secretaries had rented a house for a period of rest before proceeding to the Holy Land. When Emogene arrived, she was still weak and ill. She asked the Master if He would be good enough to give her a remedy. He sent her two baked apples, with instructions to eat them at once. She did; seeds and all. Then she went to bed and slept soundly. The next morning she was quite well.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself weary and depleted from His two years in Europe and America, lingered in Egypt trying to build up His strength before facing the accumulated work awaiting Him at home. This was seemingly impossible, as pilgrims arrived constantly and had to be accommodated and entertained. He was never alone or free from demands. He could never refuse one who came to Him for whatever purpose. When He finally responded to the pleas of His own family in Haifa to return, He sent Emogene and two or three other pilgrims ahead to help prepare for His arrival ten days later. Of this event, Emogene has written:
“In ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s house there is a very large central room, around which are the other rooms, and in it Persian rugs were spread and tables placed, upon which were fruits and sweets. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s voice was heard as He entered, the moment was intense; and as He passed through to His room, all heads were bowed. In a few moments, He returned to welcome all. He sat in a chair at one end of the room, and most of the believers sat on the floor. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was tired, so remained for a short time, and after a prayer chanted by His daughter Zia Khánum, went to His room.
“Then the ladies vacated so that the men might enter. To see the faces of those sturdy, earnest men—faces that spoke the fervor of their faith, the earnestness and resoluteness of their purposes—was something to remember. I am sure not an eye was dry; old and young, with happiness filling their hearts, could not refrain from exhibiting their emotions. He welcomed them, and seating Himself on the floor, spoke to them a short time, after which He retired.”
With the Master again in residence, Emogene told us, life commenced again, revolving around its Center who ruled with love. This time Emogene remained a member of the Household for nine months. In July 1914, she was sent in the company of a brother of Munírih Khánum to London on a delicate mission. They were to explain to the English friends that Dr. Amínu’lláh Faríd had been cut off from the Faith and was not to be allowed to hold further meetings. This man, who had been in the entourage all through the American tour as translator, had displayed “erratic and damaging behavior ... soliciting of money” against ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s commands, estranging seekers and believers alike from the Cause. Now, he had gone to London without permission to become a leader there.
Emogene was still in London when war broke out in early August. Unable to return to Europe, she joined the other Bahá’í women in Red Cross work until December
[Page 9]
when Mrs. Thornberg Cropper advised her to cross the
Channel and join Lady Bloomfield in Paris, where she
was working at the American Hospital. By Christmas,
she was back in Milan helping in war work. But under
the strain of poor food and overwork her health again
broke and she decided to return to America. There, in
her home in San Francisco, she settled down for three
years. When her husband passed away in 1918, she sold
her home and set out on the travels which ended only
with her own death in 1945.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan were unveiled at the National Convention of 1919. In the preface to the printed Tablets Horace Holley wrote: “The most notable responses made to these Tablets were the unique services of Martha Root in Latin America, Europe and the Orient, by Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn in Australia, and by Mrs. H. Emogene Hoagg and Marian Jack in Alaska.”
With the Canadian artist from the Province of New Brunswick, Marian Elizabeth Jack, Emogene sailed for Alaska in July 1919. This was to be the first extensive trip by Bahá’ís to that “vast country ... that spacious territory,” as it was described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 9) They arrived in Nome on July 26 and began to plant seeds. A long leisurely trip up the Yukon aboard the “Julia B” followed. Sometimes, the little steamer made only one mile an hour, but everywhere they pulled up, even for a few minutes, the two women would hop ashore and leave pamphlets with as many people as they could speak to. If the stop were long enough, they would go into the shops, visit the hotels and lodge halls, the movie theaters and restaurants. At Tenana, a Chinese restaurant owner became so enthusiastic that he began passing out pamphlets to all his customers, saying, “This is very good! You read! Do you lot of good!”
Marian Jack left the speaking to Emogene. Marian, herself, attracted the people by setting up her easel in the street and drawing portraits. She would turn and say, with a winning smile, “Did you ever hear of the Bahá’í Cause?” When they said no, she would wave toward Emogene, “Go over and talk to Mrs. Hoagg, she can tell you all about it!” And they would go and ask.
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Marian Jack attracted people by setting up her easel in the street and drawing portraits. |
In Anchorage, Emogene spoke at the Women’s Club, the City Club, before the Pioneers, at the movie theater, and in the High School Auditorium. In Sitka she and Marian attended a masked ball, interesting a number of the guests during the dancing and intermissions. At Wrangell, their lecture hall was Atta’s Barber Shop, whose proprietor was a devout Bible student. At Fairbanks and Dawson, they made a few contacts; but in Juneau the doors opened wide. It was during the Christmas holidays and they were invited everywhere; to parties, dinners, and a New Year’s Eve reception given by Governor and Mrs. Riggs. Everywhere they spoke of the Bahá’í Message. That same evening they were joined by Mrs. Georgia Grayson Ralston of San Francisco who stayed with them until they began their homeward journey, sailing February 24 from Vancouver. Recalling those eight months that took her six thousand miles, filled with effort and excitement, Emogene was satisfied that all Alaska had heard the word Bahá’í. There were newspaper stories in every town along the way. As follow-up they wrote to all their contacts, sending literature. In her Alaska travels, Emogene Hoagg, musician, linguist, intimate of European salons and cultural circles around the civilized world, displayed that “adaptability and determination in meeting the problems of life” so highly praised by her old friend, Philip Sprague, in his written tribute following her passing. I too admired these traits years later, when, old and ill, she readily adapted to life in my family of three children, a cat and a dog.
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During the Christmas holidays they were invited to a New Year’s party given by the Governor. |
In the spring of 1920 she again sailed for Haifa to report to her beloved ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. One day He called her to Him and asked her to tell Him about the Faith in America. After recounting some of her experiences and observations she asked Him why there was not more unity among the American Bahá’ís. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid His hand on a book beside Him, and said, “In this book is a story of a man who went to a doctor for treatment. He told the doctor his symptoms. First, he told him of the pains in his head, and of his not being able to sleep. To which the doctor replied,
‘That is due to old age.’
“Then, the man told him that he had a great deal of pain in his stomach, and couldn’t digest his food. The doctor replied,
‘This is also due to old age.’
‘Oh, but my arms and legs and back pain me constantly,’ said the man testily. And the doctor said,
‘This, too, is old age.’
“Then the man grew very angry, and asked how it was possible that a doctor, who had studied for years to learn how to cure people of their ills, had nothing more to say to a patient than that his illness is due to old age.
“And the doctor replied,
‘Your anger, too, is due to old age.’ ”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, rising, replied to Emogene’s question as to the cause of the lack of unity in America,
“The condition in America is due to lack of steadfastness.” And He strode out of the room.
When relating this story, Emogene added,
“Steadfastness means faith, knowledge, obedience.”
After six months in this blessed spot, Emogene was again summoned by the Master who told her that He wanted her to proceed to Naples and begin her pioneer teaching in Italy.
“But, Aga!” protested one of His daughters who was present, “Emogene doesn’t know anyone in Naples. She will be all alone!”
“God will be with her!” He replied calmly.
Upon her arrival in Naples Emogene found it was all too true. She knew no one. Lonely months passed before an opening presented itself to speak of the Faith. It came in the form of a letter from a member of the famous Borghese family of Rome, inviting her to come to that city and hold a meeting. This contact had been made by a mutual friend, and proved of great importance to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in Italy. Signora Borghese arranged for an evening in her own home, an ancestral palace, to which she invited about twenty people to hear the Bahá’í Message. On the way out after the lecture one of the guests, a Count, stopped Emogene, expressing his appreciation for the Message and admiration for her courage in delivering it. He asked her how she had been able to get into “this black stronghold”, meaning Roman Catholic. He called upon her shortly afterwards and invited her to speak at his mother’s home.
[Page 10]
Arriving there she found a room full of men only. The
Count’s mother came in to greet her, but did not remain.
This group was made up primarily of socialists, who
displayed marked interest. From this lecture a follow-up materialized when she was given the address in
Naples of General Piola Caselli, who extended another
invitation for a meeting in his sister’s home. Signora
Orlando invited twenty-five or thirty of her friends to
hear about the new religion. So, in a short while, the
Message had been delivered to three widely different
strata of Italian society: the old Catholic aristocracy,
the modern intellectuals with army connections, and
the social-idealists.
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In Torino, on November 28, 1921, she received, a cablegram which said, “The Master has passed away.” |
Soon, a call came to speak at a center for University students in Naples from which she formed a weekly study class at her hotel. Other openings came in Milan and Torino and a few people accepted the Bahá’í Faith. It was in Torino, on November 28, 1921, that she received the cable from the Greatest Holy Leaf, “The Master has passed away.”
Broken-hearted, she cabled for permission to go to Haifa. It was granted. As the funeral took place immediately she was not there in time, but arrived before Shoghi Effendi, accompanied by his sister and Lady Blomfield, arrived from England.
In Haifa grief and confusion overwhelmed the household. “It was terrible to go to Haifa and not see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá there,” Emogene later told us. “He had been the law that pervaded every decision, every act of family and friends. His daily habits were the pattern around which their lives were woven. It was everyone’s love for Him that made this possible, and kept the routine on its orbit.”
In the words of Shoghi Effendi and Lady Blomfield:
“The eyes that had always looked out with loving-kindness upon humanity, whether friends or foes, were now closed. The hands that had ever been stretched forth to give alms to the poor and the needy, the halt and the maimed, the blind, the orphan and the widow, had now finished their labor. The feet that, with untiring zeal, had gone upon the ceaseless errands of the Lord of Compassion were now at rest. The lips that had so eloquently championed the cause of the suffering sons of men were now hushed in silence. The heart that had so powerfully throbbed with wondrous love for the children of God was now stilled. His glorious spirit had passed from the life of earth, from the persecutions of the enemies of righteousness, from the storm and stress of well-nigh eighty years of indefatigable toil for the good of others.”
In a letter describing this time, Emogene wrote:
“For the first week after getting here, I had no head to use for anything; but since then, have been very busy helping in the translation of some important Tablets ... Lady Blomfield is here, and is now compiling an accurate account of the few days prior to the Beloved’s departure, of the cortege up the mountain to the Tomb of the Báb, and the fifth, ninth and fortieth days after the ascension.”
Shoghi Effendi was there by this time and, though weak and ill with grief, restored order and purpose to their lives. I find in my notes:
“For the public reading of the Will and Testament, which took place on the fortieth day after the passing, notice was sent to the surrounding countries; people came from Cairo, Beirut, Damascus, America, England, Germany, and Persia. At least a hundred men of the Cause arrived. The house was got ready. Rugs were put on the floor, flowers decorated the rooms and halls, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s picture was hung.
“On the day appointed, January 7, 1922, the Bahá’ís assembled in the home of the Master. Among them, seated in the central hall, were five or six American and English women, Emogene among them. The oriental women sat in a side room out of sight, but near enough to hear.
“As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s secretary read the Will, sounds of sobbing were heard. The impact was tremendous. Emphasis had been placed on the suffering that had been endured because of breakers of the Covenant.
“All present accepted the terms of the Will appointing Shoghi Effendi Guardian. There seemed to be no dissenting voice. The family and the old believers alike accepted this young man of twenty-four as their leader and the Head of the Universal House of Justice, because it was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish: ‘The one who opposes him ... verily, he opposes God.’ ”
The reading of the Will over, the visitors and pilgrims returned to their homes, leaving the young Guardian alone to administer the world-wide affairs of the infant Faith of God.
Shortly, the Guardian asked Emogene and other seasoned teachers and servants of the Cause to come to Haifa to confer with him. Among them were Montford Mills and Roy Wilhelm from America, Laura and Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney from France, Consul and Alice Schwarz from Germany, and Major Tudor Pole, Lady Blomfield and Ethel J. Rosenberg from England. Emogene stayed on as long as she felt she was needed. When she left for Europe, one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s daughters, Munavver Khánum, went with her. Their first stop was Swartzveld in the Black Forest of Germany, where they rested and took the baths. Later, they visited Frankfort, Berlin and Stuttgart.
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Shoghi Effendi was there and, though weak and ill with grief, restored order and purpose to their lives. |
Back in Italy, where she knew ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted her to concentrate her teaching, Emogene established herself in Rome and began holding meetings for students. The next year, 1923, she moved to Florence, remaining in that ancient city of art and beauty for three years. Here, she lived in a pension high on one of the lovely hills overlooking the Arno, and it was in the garden of this house that she entertained her guests and gave them the Teachings. Unlike most of the Florentines whose ears were deaf to the call of the New Day one became a devoted believer and co-worker, Signora Campani, who helped translate Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era and Wisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá into Italian. Another guest of note was the sister of Archdeacon Townshend of Ireland, and another was the Marquesa Maccarani, an English woman married to an Italian. “It was not the Italians, but the Americans who were the race most ready for the Teachings,” she told us, “as it is a hybrid race, with no strong ties to the past as in older nations.”
In 1928 she obtained Shoghi Effendi’s permission to join Miss Julia Culver in Geneva, Switzerland, where an International Bahá’í Bureau had been established. This office was the center and distributing agency for the entire European community, linking it with Haifa and each other. Messages from Shoghi Effendi reached
| At the age of seventy-three she accepted an assignment to Cuba ... She learned Spanish and taught there with much effect. |
Geneva first and then were dispatched to all European centers. Books and pamphlets published in America reached their destination through the Geneva office. Two paid secretaries were kept busy full time. Miss Culver financed it and Emogene managed it.
The Bureau was housed in an attractive large room on a main city street. A good library was kept well stocked, not only with Bahá’í publications, but with books on philosophy and science, on international affairs and social movements. It was designed to interest the many visitors attached to the more than sixty international organizations with offices in Geneva. The Bahá’ís cultivated this diverse and stimulating international community, exchanging lectures, teas, and receptions throughout the years. A monthly bulletin was published by the Bureau between 1927 and 1935.
In 1931 Emogene was summoned to Haifa by Shoghi Effendi to assist him with typing and preparing the manuscript of The Dawn-breakers, which he had translated into English from the original Persian, and was preparing for publication. Upon completing that arduous and important task she returned to Geneva and remained there until 1935.
A reduction in the budget of the Bahá’í Bureau made it necessary to move the office to smaller quarters and reduce activities. Emogene felt the time had come for her to make a change and find new fields of service. In retrospect she recalled those years in Geneva as most exciting and productive in making the Faith known to people of capacity and influence.
Shoghi Effendi encouraged her to return to America, where he told her she was needed to deepen the believers. He particularly wanted her to teach new believers about the Administrative Order. Under the direction of the National Teaching Committee she traveled through the Middle West and the South. She also visited Montreal where I had the privilege of attending her classes in the late 1930s. She taught at Louhelen School, Green Acre, Washington, D.C., and Greenville, South Carolina.
At the age of seventy-three, she accepted an assignment to Cuba under the Inter-American Committee. She learned to speak Spanish and taught in Havana with much effect.
Following the Cuban mission Emogene suffered a heart attack while visiting in California. She was never well again. She stayed in California until 1943, convalescing. But when she heard that one more person was needed to form an Assembly in Greenville, South Carolina, she came South.
In May 1944 she was able to attend the Annual Convention and the Bahá’í Centenary celebration commemorating the birth of the Bahá’í Era. In September she moved to Washington, D.C. and became the guest of Miss Leone Barnitz, from whose home she came to us later that fall.
The entire nine months she was with us she was confined to bed. She got up occasionally for small deepening classes we arranged for her. We hoped these classes would help improve her health, as she told us she never felt well except when teaching. Often she was seriously ill with bronchial pneumonia. She would cough her life away for days. We would cable the Guardian for prayers as was the custom in those days, and she would seem to improve. Then, pale and thin, her blue eyes glowing, she would ask for her writing material and books. Propped up on pillows, surrounded by a mountain of books, she would write on her manuscript until the next attack seized her. She must have known her time was short. She let nothing keep her from completing her gift to the literature of the Faith. Nothing else meant anything to her. It was almost impossible to get her to eat. The only dish that interested her was a concoction she had us make up for her breakfast. It started with a piece of whole wheat toast, over which was poured honey, cream and a cup of hot coffee. On top of this mixture went a sliced banana! We had trouble finding bananas in wartime Washington. The friends were asked to search for them in their neighborhood markets. When they found some they would bring them to Emogene as a special treat.
Her power to draw on her inner spiritual strength when necessary was illustrated when one day the little silky cocker spaniel, Sandy, which slept on the foot of her bed and gave her his warming devotion, slipped out the front door and ran away. Emogene upstairs in bed heard the screen slam. She knew she was alone in the house and there was no one to bring him back. So she did the only thing there was to do—got out of bed, put on her clothes, and started off down Kirk Street after him. On my way home from the grocery store I was astonished to meet our bedridden Emogene striding along in perfect control of her muscles, leading Sandy firmly on a leash. We arrived home together. I watched this incredible woman undress, get back into bed, and take up her pen and begin to write. When it became necessary to give her up to the care of others, I was sad. Adeline and Carl Lohse came and bundled her and her few clothes and heavy boxes of books into their car. Five months later, in Charleston, South Carolina, she died. The friend who cared for her during those last months with great love and devotion—Miss Josey Pinson—wrote a touching account of her passing:
“About eight days before she passed, she had a very bad heart attack, and she said then that she knew the end was near. She asked for a pencil and pad and wrote out the following message to be cabled to the Guardian immediately after her passing: ‘Last loving greetings, Emogene.’
“After that, she spoke very little of going, but grew weaker each day.
“The joy with which she announced her departure cannot be described in words. I only wish all the friends could have seen her.
“ ‘Come, Josie, quick! I’m going!’ She wore an expression of supreme happiness, which she kept until the end. There was a light in her eyes which seemed to envelop her entire face, and all the marks of age seemed to disappear. She lived on for more than an hour after that, and breathed normally.
“Then she called to me in a joyous mood, extended her hand and took mine, ‘Goodbye, I’m gone!’
“She passed away in heavenly ecstasy at 9:30 o’clock on the evening of December 15, 1945. I was standing by her when she breathed her last, and it was without a struggle. Her glorious departure overshadows all other sentiments.”
The Guardian cabled:
“Deeply grieved passing staunch exemplary pioneer Faith, Emogene Hoagg. Record national, international services unforgettable. Reward Abha Kingdom assured, abundant.”
The Great Safari in the Seychelles[edit]
By Violette Nakhjavani
Because of the rainy season it suddenly became possible to fit in a visit to the Seychelles islands. During her tour of the Indian Ocean in 1967, when we visited Mauritius, Réunion and Madagascar, this had not been possible, and Amatu’l-Bahá was delighted that we would now make a visit to the believers there. We arrived in this beautiful tropical paradise on November 9 and were received in the V.I.P. lounge by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly and many of the Bahá’ís, who had come on a special bus from all over the island, as well as by one of the dear Auxiliary Board members who had been paying a visit to the Seychelles to assist the friends in winning their goals.
On that same day Amatu’l-Bahá met with the National Spiritual Assembly and approved the program they had planned for her. Before her departure she had another meeting with them, reporting her views on the special interviews she had had, as well as the work in general in the Seychelles.
As one of the Nine Year Plan goals was to secure the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly, the talks Rúḥíyyih Khánum was able to have with high-ranking government officials were undoubtedly of assistance. The remoteness of the Seychelles and the small population of the islands means that everybody of any importance knows everything. Thus the Governor-General Sir Bruce Great-Batch was familiar with both the Faith and the Bahá’ís. He received us in his office in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and particularly asked about drinking and moral conduct. He expressed the wish that the Bahá’í Teachings would spread rapidly throughout the islands and take root in the lives of the people. As the Deputy Governor and Attorney-General are both more concerned with the execution of government decisions, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to them in detail about the incorporation, receiving valuable advice about how to go about securing this objective. The Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly was with us at these interviews and thus was able to put these valuable suggestions into action immediately. At the official reception given by the National Assembly for Rúḥíyyih Khánum, some of the government officials were present among the eighty or so guests and this again strengthened the favorable impressions for the Faith her official calls had already produced.
As a result of an informal interview with the editor and the reporter of the only news media on the islands, a weekly bulletin, a short but informative article was published. On the occasion of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh, Amatu’l-Bahá had a very good English radio interview. The Bahá’ís have been accorded the right to broadcast on each of the nine Holy Days. The Seychelles, like the island of Mauritius, are bilingual. The native language is a form of Creole French, so generally the people understand French better than English. Later during our stay Amatu’l-Bahá also had a short radio interview in French. All her public talks, and her talks to the believers, were made in French.
The celebration of the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh took place in the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, where Bahá’ís from many different localities assembled and had the privilege of hearing Rúḥíyyih Khánum speak on the life of the Blessed Beauty. She said the purpose of His life and His teachings and His suffering was to establish unity and harmony in this world. This teaching is the core of all his other teachings; we Bahá’ís must be able to mirror forth the realization of this teaching in our lives and particularly in our communities, because if we do not, how can we prove that such an achievement is possible? If we do not hold out this hope to humanity, where else can man find any hope at all? A delicious dinner was then served to all, and the distinguished, active youth who have a singing group called the “Smiling Souls” entertained us with Bahá’í songs they composed, including a song of welcome especially composed for Amatu’l-Bahá. On this happy occasion a review of the goals of the Seychelles islands was given. With great joy the friends learned they had surpassed their locality goals, after the several weeks of intensive teaching and consolidation which took place before we arrived. Everyone’s cup was overflowing when the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly shared with the friends an official letter he had just received from the government, giving permission for Bahá’í children throughout the islands to be absent from school on their nine Holy Days. This indeed was a great victory and cause for deep happiness and gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh.
Amongst her other public activities Rúḥíyyih Khánum addressed the students and staff of the Government Teachers Training College in Mahé on “The Role of Youth in Modern Society”. A very interesting
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RÚḤÍYYIH KHÁNUM, Violette Nakhjavani and Shanta Murday, Board member for the Indian Ocean area, with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Seychelles.
interview was recorded between her and a woman who
is a roving reporter for the B.B.C. She had heard about
Amatu’l-Bahá and asked to come to her hotel for this
interview; she spent a very pleasant hour with us.
The schedule for this visit of Amatu’l-Bahá was quite full. Almost daily she visited different communities, some of which grouped together for joint meetings. In Anse Boileau, in the home of one of the National Assembly members, an old believer who had accepted the Faith many years ago in Tanzania, Rúḥíyyih Khánum, in her talk to the friends, spoke on the greatness of the station of the first believers in each country, city or village. She said their spiritual reward is assured if they remain firm in the Cause and serve it with all their hearts.
In Anse Aux Pins, where the only Bahá’í Centre other than the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds is located, a small but very devoted group of Bahá’ís received Amatu’l-Bahá and drank from her ocean of wisdom and love. The land for this little Centre was donated by a dedicated local believer who has, like all the other people in these islands, a large family, all of whom are now Bahá’ís. The National Spiritual Assembly built this Centre and behind it is a shop which belongs to this same man. Because of the extreme shortage of land on this small island many offers to rent his shop had come to him, but he steadfastly refused to rent until he had a written agreement with the tenant that liquor would not be sold or served there. He felt this might make it impossible to hold Bahá’í meetings in the Centre. His determination will mean a great deal of financial sacrifice to his family; less food, less education for his children, and less of the little amenities of life. Drinking is a national curse in these islands. To see such devotion to the spirit of Bahá’u’lláh’s laws, and firmness of conviction and spirituality, is like a bright ray of sunshine in the darkness and corruption of this world. In the meeting in this Centre the dear friends asked Rúḥíyyih Khánum to talk to them about fasting and prayer. She suggested they gather daily in the Centre for prayers and devotion to attract the bounties of Bahá’u’lláh for themselves and their neighbors.
One afternoon we visited Souvenir and met in the home of a young woman who is a devoted Bahá’í and has put her home at the disposal of the believers for their regular meetings. Later that evening we had another meeting in the southernmost community of the island of Mahé, called Grand Anse/Port Glaud. It was in the home of a beautiful family, all of whom were devoted, dedicated Bahá’ís, including the brothers and sisters of the host. In this meeting too the address was on prayer and meditation. The young son of the family recited the Tablet of Aḥmad by heart and when Rúḥíyyih Khánum commented on this and praised the parents for bringing up their children within the shelter of attachment to the soul of the Faith which is the Words of God, the father shyly told us that in their family they have regular devotional periods in the evenings and in the mornings. In the course of her talk, Rúḥíyyih Khánum pointed out that towards the end of his life our beloved Guardian spoke very often to the pilgrims and the Bahá’ís around him—and in his writings—about the inevitability of the calamities and sufferings foretold in all the Holy Scriptures. He told us that these events were approaching and urged the believers to pioneer and scatter around the world and spread the Message of God for this day to all the people, especially those who inhabit the far islands and countries. She said you must be aware of this and bring up your children in such a way that if such calamities strike humanity in small islands such as the Seychelles we will have strong, devoted and informed Bahá’ís to carry on the work of the Faith. A time may come when Bahá’ís such as these will carry the teachings they have preserved and studied and treasured back to the Western World and the centers of modern civilization which have been ravaged and destroyed.
The Seychelles are an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, between the fourth and tenth parallels. The largest island is Mahé, upon which is situated the capital
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AMATU’L-BAHÁ WITH Sir Bruce Great-Batch, Governor-General of the Seychelles Islands.
city Victoria. Our three nights’ stay on the small island
of Praslin was a most enjoyable part of our trip, however, for in addition to meetings with the very devoted
and active Bahá’í community there, we visited the famous “Valee de Mai” where the unique coco de mer
palm grows. This is the only place in the world where
this ancient and unusual tree grows, except for a very
few isolated specimens on neighboring islands. A forest
of almost 4000 palms was able to flourish because the
islands were uninhabited until 200 years ago. The two-lobed fruit of the coco de mer, suggesting a double
coconut, is among the largest known, and takes almost
ten years to ripen. This palm forest is very strictly
guarded by the government as once destroyed it can
never be replaced; it is one of the botanical wonders of
the world. The senior ranger of this valley was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly so we were privileged to receive a very enjoyable guided tour of this
“Garden of Eden”. On arrival at the tiny air field
Amatu’l-Bahá was met by the believers from three
different communities where the Faith was established
and we all proceeded to our little hotel where Amatu’l-Bahá spoke briefly to the friends and was cordially and
lovingly welcomed. The following day the Bahá’ís from
all over the island gathered in Baie Sainte Anne and
though it rained heavily, a good number of non-Bahá’ís
attended the meeting. Amatu’l-Bahá gave a beautiful
introductory presentation of the Faith which was followed by a slide show. Later that night, in the home of
our dear forest ranger friend, over 30 Bahá’ís dined
together on exotic dishes such as heart of palm salad
and delicacies of the sea prepared by a number of the
ladies from different communities.
In a heavy downpour the next day we crossed the ocean in a little boat to the tiny island of La Digue where an intensive teaching campaign recently brought in a number of new believers. A group of about 20 Bahá’ís, mostly youth, had come the previous day from Mahé to make arrangements for the public meeting to be held there; an entire building was rented to accommodate them. The day before the meeting they started an around-the-clock devotional session for the success of the teaching work the following day. Amatu’l-Bahá spoke on the life of Bahá’u’lláh, His sufferings, His teachings and the effect they have on the lives of people; she told stories of the martyrs as shining examples for us all; she pointed out that the Seychelles islands are the best example of the oneness of mankind because the people are truly a mixture of many races and backgrounds, and live together in unity and harmony, not concerned with each other’s race or background.
The last event in Mahé was a very enjoyable dinner party given in Amatu’l-Bahá’s honor in a Chinese restaurant, followed by a farewell party at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds where a large number of believers had gathered to bid their beloved Hand of the Cause goodbye. After Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s words of love and encouragement the “Smiling Souls” once again entertained us, singing their beautiful song of farewell composed for Amatu’l-Bahá’s departure. The visit to the Seychelles passed far too quickly; we enjoyed every moment in those beautiful islands with the active, devoted and highly promising Bahá’í community there.
Bahá’ís mark 1st mention Faith U.S.[edit]
The 90th anniversary of the first mention of the Bahá’í Faith in America was marked by a special devotional program and lecture at the House of Worship in Wilmette, September 23.
Almost 200 people were present for the commemorative program. A presentation on the significance of the occasion was made by Mrs. Ruth Moffett.
This observance concluded a week of special activities sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Chicago.
Public events in Chicago included:
- a World Peace Day Tea, September 16, at the Chicago Bahá’í Center, 116 South Michigan Avenue,
- an Indian Art Exhibit, September 18, at the Chicago Bahá’í Center,
- an Iranian Night, September 20, at the Bahá’í Center, and
- the presentation of a one-act musical drama, “Journey of the Soul” by a group of Bahá’ís, September 21, at the Fine Arts Building, 410 South Michigan.
The first reference in America to Bahá’u’lláh was
made in a speech written by the Reverend Henry H.
Jessup, Director of Presbyterian Missionary Operations
in Syria, and presented at the September 23, 1893 session
of the 17-day Congress of Religions. This Congress, an
adjunct of the grand Columbian Exposition, was called
to “explore the grounds of fraternal union”, in language,
literature, science, art and religion.
More than 4,000 people attended the Congress of Religions, one of the first interfaith gatherings on record. Among the participants, according to a contemporary account, “were men of many tongues, of many lands, of many races, disciples of Christ, of Mohammad, of Buddha, of Brahma, of Confucius, in the name of the common God, for the glorification of the Father.”
“The sight was most remarkable,” that early account continued. “There were strange robes, turbans and tunics, crosses and crescents, flowing hair and tonsured heads ... the representatives marched down the center aisle, and ... took their seats in triple rows upon the platform, beneath the waving flags of many nations.”
The speeches on the thirteenth day of the Congress, September 23, dwelt upon the prospect for establishing a
EARLY BELIEVERS in Chicago. Mr. Thornton Chase (sitting second from, left) was the first Bahá’í in America.
brotherhood of man upon the earth. Within this framework, Dr. Jessup, writing on the “Religious Mission of
the English Speaking Nations”, quoted the following
words of Bahá’u’lláh:
“That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of man should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease and differences of race be annulled—what harm is there in this? Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come.”
“Let not a man glory in this, that he loves his country; let him rather glory in this, that he loves his kind.”
The first follower of Bahá’u’lláh in the United States was Mr. Thornton Chase, an insurance broker for the Union Mutual Insurance Company, now located at 175 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago. The first Bahá’í center in the Western world was established in Chicago in 1894.
Chicago has remained an important center for the Bahá’í Faith ever since. A local spiritual assembly was formed in Chicago before 1900. There are now more than 800 local assemblies in the United States, and more than 17,000 in the world.
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Bahá’í School Winter school in the Central Highlands of Peru. The July 1973 school session was attended by Continental Counsellor Mas’úd Khamsí. This photograph was taken in front of the Bahá’í Center in the village of Chupaco, Huancayo State. |
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NATIONAL ḤAẒÍRATU’L-QUDS for North East Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was dedicated November 12, 1972.
Around the World[edit]
CONTINENTAL COUNSELLOR Mr. Donald Witzel (second from right) with Colombian friends at annual Convention.
Colombian Convention[edit]
The weekend of May 19 and 20 saw the 13th Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Colombia in Valledupar, Cesar, located in the northern part of Colombia. Valledupar was chosen as the convention site because of the tremendous receptivity of the people and ease of obtaining permission from city officials. The Faith received publicity on the local radio station both during and after the Convention. An interview was held with Auxiliary Board Member, Habib Rezvani and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly which was broadcast throughout the department (state) of Cesar.
The friends were fortunate to have the presence and guidance of Continental Counsellor for South America, Donald Witzel. Also in attendance were Auxiliary Board members Cecilia Iguaran for the Guajiran Indian zone, Peter McLaren from Venezuela, Maxine Roth and Habib Rezvani both from Colombia. The Convention was held in the home of one of the believers. It was a very humble house with a dirt floor. The family turned it over to the visiting Bahá’ís. They gave up their beds for the delegates who didn’t have hammocks and for those who did they offered every rafter in the house.
The many delegates who attended had also made many sacrifices. Some traveled as many as 70 hours over dangerous, high-mountain roads to reach the convention. The sessions had a new spirit which had been missing in past conventions. In part it was the humility and service of our new Bahá’ís friends in Valledupar, also the feelings of gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh for the successful accomplishment of the goals of the Nine Year Plan both in Colombia and throughout the world, and the feelings of admiration and loss for our devoted National Secretary, Luis Montenegro, who died of a heart attack while trying to reach our Bahá’í brothers among the Motilon Indians in the Sierra del Perija mountains to help with the election of the Local Spiritual Assemblies.
Early Sunday morning the delegates and others attending the convention went by chartered bus to Codassi to visit the grave and offer prayers for the progress of the soul of our dear friend and brother. It was a very moving experience for everyone.
Upon returning, the consultation began. There were many suggestions from all the delegates and friends to be submitted to our new NSA. Among them were to have the teaching projects with Venezuela and with Ecuador; that small committees be appointed with small jobs to do especially in areas where the LSA is not able to meet regularly (the teaching can go ahead through the committees); many suggestions were made to go teach the remaining Indian Tribes who haven’t heard of the Faith, many volunteered to make the often difficult trips to reach these waiting souls.
It seemed the convention ended too soon. Although each went to his own area, we will be united in our plan to reach all of Colombia with the message of Bahá’u’lláh.
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PRESIDENT WILLIAM TOLBERT of Liberia (second from
left) with President Seku Toure of Guinea (second from
right) during Liberian Independence celebration in 1972.
Mrs. Tolbert is at extreme right; Mrs. Seku Toure, at extreme left. The photograph was taken after the two leaders
were presented copies of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.
Bahá’ís meet Tolbert[edit]
A delegation representing the National Spiritual Assembly of Tanzania met with President William Tolbert of Liberia in Dar es Salaam, on July 9. President Tolbert was in the Tanzanian capital to attend a meeting with other African leaders.
Despite her busy schedule the Bahá’í delegation was received by the President. The Bahá’í representatives read a message to the President on behalf of the National Assembly.
At the end of the presentation the President remarked that the message of love is what the world needs today to make it a better place for humanity. He assured the Bahá’ís that the coreligionists in Liberia enjoyed the same rights and privileges as followers of other religions. He said the Bahá’ís in his country were being very successful in spreading their religion. He gave permission for the delegation to inform the Bahá’ís in Liberia of their meeting with the President.
A white ivory carving was presented to President Tolbert on behalf of the National Assembly, as well as a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.
The message to the President said in part:
“We wish to recall many occasions where the National Bahá’í Community of Liberia has had the privilege of dealing with your government. The favorable response of various authorities in your administration has been a source of gratitude to the rest of the Bahá’í world. The Bahá’í International Community has had the privilege of association with the late Dr. William Tubman, when he visited the Bahá’í Holy places several years ago, in the Holy Land, and secondly during the historic Bahá’í Conference held in your beautiful city of Monrovia in January, 1971.”
FRIENDS ATTENDING three-day institute in Tainan.
Three-day institute[edit]
A three-day Bahá’í Teaching Institute was held July 20-22, in the Tainan Bahá’í Center, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Tainan and co-ordinated by Mrs. Roxanne Gardner, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan. It was attended by Bahá’ís from different parts of the island, including Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien and Cha-yi.
The Institute was blest by the timely arrival of beloved Hand of the Cause Mr. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone, Miss Elena Marsella, the newly appointed Counsellor for Northeastern Asia, and Mr. Edgar Olson from Guam. Auxiliary Board member Miss Toni Mantel also participated.
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German Convention The more than 200 Bahá’ís gathered for the German National Convention, at Langenhain, May 19-20, were also celebrating the successful completion of the Nine Year Plan in Germany. The German goals were won in the last days of the Plan. This Convention marked the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the National Assembly in Germany. A special guest of the Convention was Dr. Rai, a member of the National Assembly of Nepal. Dr. Rai traveled to Germany after the International Convention in Haifa to help deepen new believers. |
The highlight of the occasion was a talk given on the first night by Mr. Featherstone, on the significance of the establishment of the International Teaching Centre at the World Centre. He also shared heartlifting news of the Third International Convention held in Haifa last Riḍván.
On the evening of July 21, all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan gathered in another room of the Tainan Center and consulted with the Hand of the Cause and the Counsellor on the progress of the Faith in Taiwan; and simultaneously, in the main room of the Center, Mrs. Featherstone was relating the remarkable story of the spiritual conquest of the continent of Australia by the devoted pioneers Clara and Hyde Dunn.
Ethiopia[edit]
CONTINENTAL COUNSELLOR Mr. Húshang ‘Ahdíyyih (in white sweater) with friends at conference in Asmara, Ethiopia.
DEEPENING INSTITUTE in Gumato Village, near Awasa, Ethiopia, conducted by Mr. Shayani, a travel-teacher from Madagascar.
Ghana[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Ghana, at the National Bahá’í Center, in Accra, in July 1973.
North East Africa[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of
the Bahá’ís of North East Africa in
May 1973. From left to right: Mr.
Techeste Ahderom, Mr. Gila Michael
Bahta, Mr. Jon Butah, Miss Zewde
Amanies, Mr. Eshetu Mangesha, Dr.
Leo Niederreiter, Mr. Asreseheyn
Tessema, Mr. Yemany Tekei, and
Mr. Mehtzun Tedla.
Thailand[edit]
THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THAILAND. From
left to right standing: Mr. N Yogachandra (treasurer), Mr. Nasser Jaffri
(vice-chairman), Mr. Swai Thongsut, Mr. Boonrod Boonsaele, Mr. Jai
Gopal Jand (chairman), Mr. Machakalie Chandran. From left to right
seated: Mr. Prasan Phukhaothong, Mr. Son C-hin-kham, Continental
Counsellor, Mr. Yan Kee Leong, Auxiliary Board member Mr. Farredoum
Missagian, and Mrs. Savita Jand (secretary).
DELEGATES to the tenth annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Thailand, held in Bangkok, May 26-27, 1973. The Convention was attended by a Continental Counsellor and an Auxiliary Board member.
Student teaching[edit]
The following report is based upon a letter received from a young believer in North Karamoja, Uganda, and appeared in the Uganda National Bahá’í Newsletter.
“The Faith was very neglected at the beginning of the school holidays by the people of this district,” the young man said. Before I could say anything to them they had already known that I was a Bahá’í. They left me apart saying, ‘You are a devil, be apart from us, we do not need to hear what you are saying ...’ Some people laughed and some were sorry for me ... I said prayers and strengthened my faith ...
“On April 20 two boys came to visit me in my fine little hut,” he continued. “I was reading. I gave the book to one of them. He read it until he found the word ‘Bahá’í.’ I just can’t describe how the boy threw the book ... and he went away without a word ... I became filled with a feeling of uselessness and said some prayers from the prayer book. Next morning a boy came and I gave him a book to read. I told him about Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and he became the first Bahá’í on April 23, 1973 ...
“After that it became easy to spread the Faith,” he said. “Now here in Katabok we have 7 new Bahá’ís, and we hope to get more ... loving Bahá’ís soon.”
Bahá’í singing group in Nhlangano, Swaziland, June 1972.
Interview broadcast[edit]
Radio Bangui, in the Central African Republic, broadcast a thirty-minute interview, June 10, with three members of the National Spiritual Assembly recently returned from the Third International Convention in Haifa.
The interviewer asked questions about the election of The Universal House of Justice, the Holy Land, the system of Bahá’í elections, and the principle of the unity of religions. He was particularly interested in the responses of Mr. Toleque, an Assembly member and citizen of the Central African Republic.
“All the answers were very clear and the program surely must have attracted the attention of many people of different backgrounds,” a report by the Continental Board of Counsellors in Central and East Africa said.
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Peruvian NSA meets
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“It was clearly announced that Bahá’u’lláh is the unifier of all mankind and religions, that He is the Prophet for today, that He is the Father ...”
The interview was in addition to a regular Bahá’í broadcast over the official Ugandan station on Sunday mornings.
Travel teaching in Africa[edit]
The following report on travel-teaching in Africa is based on material received from the Bahá’í International News Service, Haifa, Israel.
Village Teaching[edit]
“In Nairobi there are many young Bahá’ís, both pioneers and Kenyans, and I was happy to take a trip with them to Kikuyu and Gatimu, two villages near Nairobi where teaching work is progressing. This work requires patience as the people are hard to find and often shy, but by the same token they are receptive and many are both literate and serious students of the Faith ...
“One day was spent in Mombaza, on the coast, with two young Iranian pioneers who are in school there ... Their spirit of persistence and faith is remarkable ... Surely the heroism of young Bahá’ís such as these is a great example for Bahá’ís everywhere ...
Kenyan NSA elected[edit]
“During my stay the first National Spiritual Assembly meeting of the new year was held with several newly elected members attending ... I was asked to conduct a study class on the spirit and functions of the National Spiritual Assembly, using for source material an outline prepared by the Counsellors for that region ... I was especially impressed with the new African members of the Assembly who, although not experienced with Bahá’í administration, evinced a desire to learn quickly and participate fully ... The spirit of dignity and courtesy that seems to be a natural quality with these people is obviously a tremendous asset on such a diverse Assembly ...
Meeting with students[edit]
“Three trips were made during my stay to Molepolole, where there is a Bahá’í group in a government high school. Stops were also made in a number of villages over a wide area to the south ...
“A meeting was held one evening at the high school in Molepolole ... many of the students listened attentively ... the Bahá’í chairman had to plead with the students to retire to their dormitories so that school would begin on time the next morning.
Teacher interviewed[edit]
“Even before clearing immigration in Lusaka I was greeted with a cheery ‘Alláh-u-Abhá’ by a member of the welcoming committee, who is a traffic controller in the airport ...
“My first day a 20-minute recorded radio interview and 6-minute live evening interview on the TV were arranged by my host. Both were highly successful, stressing the Faith ...”
Ethiopian youth[edit]
“Two days were spent in the company of the youthful and enthusiastic Bahá’í community in Asmara, a lovely town on the edge of the plateau in northern Ethiopia ... An evening meeting was arranged which about 60 attended, a lovely mixture of African and European (the town is heavily settled with Italians) ...
“A further day was spent in Addis Ababa, the capital, where there are a number of young, highly capable, energetic and dedicated Bahá’ís in the community ... Approaches were made to the radio station and an interview was broadcast ... Although I did not have time to go with the Addis Ababa Bahá’ís to their ‘mass teaching area’ among the villages, it was quite apparent that their weekend trips and other work in this area, where thousands have become Bahá’ís, is largely responsible for the beautiful spirit one sees among them ...”
A working holiday in the villages of France[edit]
The following report is an early account of the U.S. Summer Youth Project in France. Mrs. Bellows, from Pompano Beach, Florida, has worked with the project there for two consecutive years, this time accompanying six youth on their seven-week teaching adventure. The French project began for the American youth with a training session at Green Acre in late June. They arrived in France, July 4, and with the French youth assigned to the project split into three teams to cover different regions of the republic. One team was moved to Corsica, the site of one of last year’s successful teaching projects.
The only other European country conducting a Summer Youth Project this year was Germany. Two U.S. youth worked there at the request of the German National Spiritual Assembly. By press time there was still no report on that project.
Eight youth also dispatched to Mexico in early July to assist with Bahá’í work in that country. Their training session was held in Mexico City. The four girls on the team of eight were taken to Yucatan to assist in deepening the many Mayan women who have enrolled in the Faith over the years. Other participants were stationed in rural village areas in other parts of the country.
U.S. Summer Youth Projects have been conducted for five years. The first teams were sent to Europe in 1971. In 1972 more than 200 American youth were in Europe and Latin America teaching the Bahá’í Faith.
By Jene Bellows
Alors! Je commence! The summer campaign for reaching the villagers of France is well under way—with very much success for Bahá’u’lláh! The three teams, one located in Sens (one hour from Paris—a medieval village with up-dated suburbs, a cathedral dating back many centuries, and each street a candidate for a tourist’s camera), one team in the region near Clermont-Ferrand, and another on the Island of Corsica.
To avoid prolonging suspense—as of the 10th of August
VILLAGE OF FURIANI on the island of Corsica where a Bahá’í teaching team stopped briefly this summer.
there were a total of 45 new believers in France,
and many more very close to declaring their belief in
Bahá’u’lláh. The “sympathisants” bring their friends
and neighbors to each soirée, functioning as tools for
Bahá’u’lláh, opening doors for us that would be otherwise closed.
I’ll begin with Sens. At the beginning of the campaign in Sens the tests were multiple. The Mairie (town hall) was secured for meetings at night. No one came. A journalist wrote a not-too-nice article about the Bahá’ís. It rained all the time and it was cold. The team began with 2 American girls, 3 or 4 French girls and 2 French boys, with others joining them on weekends. They prayed, they persisted, they were patient, teaching in the streets, receiving cold stares or brusque responses for their efforts, and still no one came.
And then two members of the team literally ran into 2 young French boys, artists content with life as it is—yet curious and friendly. They were attracted to the Bahá’ís and agreed to attend the meeting that night. To the surprise of all, they came. Their minds were content with thoughts of art and the Bahá’ís were making them think a new way—not too easy, to be sure. But they liked the Bahá’ís, and so each day they came. Bringing their friends, they met with the Bahá’ís in the cafes and shared stories, coffee, “orangina” and “coca” (pronounced cocah), the French diminutive for Coca Cola.
One night one of the young men brought his father and mother. His father declared. And soon others declared. The total count (including the young man) was 7. Beautiful souls, they are all attending deepening classes, helping with the teaching, and assisting with the booth set up each Monday and Thursday in the colorful market place. The merchants of Sens open their doors, set up stands and tables on the narrow streets and in front of the cathedral, and people from all over the region spend their day shopping and looking and visiting. Hundreds of people have heard the Message. On our last night in Sens, 15 new “sympathisants” arrived for our soirée and to view “Ce n’est que le commencement” (It’s Just the Beginning), and the new believers taught
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and made their plans to come to the summer school
which will take place near Marseille after the campaign
is finished.
And now Clermont-Ferrand! Actually the team lived in a little village called “Romagnat” near the city of Clermont-Ferrand, in the central region of France—farm country in the Massif Central mountain range. One must drive down narrow streets, no wider than an automobile, twist and turn, and in first gear climb, hoping no one will be coming from the other direction. After many requests for directions one finds the home of the Bahá’ís in Romagnat, perched high above the valley with a view of Romagnat and Clermont-Ferrand reaching as far as the mountains on the horizon.
The resident Bahá’ís in Romagnat, Mr. and Mme. Azziz Mesbah, have given their home to the team for the summer, insisting that they are the guests there until the campaign is over. Each night their salle (living room) is carpeted wall-to-wall with new believers and “sympathisants.” Quite often the team planned a special presentation of the Faith with “Ce n’est que le commencement” in the Mairie of neighboring villages and Clermont-Ferrand. Each day they proclaimed the Faith in the streets, inviting the people to the evening meeting.
On my last day with the team they planned their meetings for that night: a “light deepening” for the new-new believers, a “deep deepening” for the “new-old believers,” and a “deep fireside” for everyone. After the film strip depicting the life of the Báb, accompanied by songs and a short explanation of Progressive Revelation and the purpose of Bahá’u’lláh’s coming, the new Bahá’ís went to their separate meetings, and later, all came together for further discussion. The team has had several unity Feasts, and plans a weekend-long institute soon, with games and role playing as part of the planned learning process.
For the first time in France, the television (regional) gave a report on the Bahá’í Faith. For an entire day the reporters and camera men accompanied the team, asking many questions. It resulted in an accurate report on the “local” news, which covers the region extending to Switzerland. The teams teaching on the street were shown, and a full meeting in the home of the Mesbahs when two Bahá’ís gave a straightforward account of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. The reporters also interviewed a local farmer and his wife, both Catholics and very sympathetic to the Faith. They reported (against the background music of the crowing of roosters) that the Bahá’í Faith brought no contradiction to their beliefs, and that the Bahá’ís were beautiful people filled with love for mankind, working for the much needed unity of all mankind.
The local priest of Romagnat warned his parishioners from his pulpit that the Bahá’ís were fools and should be avoided. But a priest from Clermont-Ferrand fell in love with the youth and brought many “sympathisants” to the meeting nearly every night. He asked questions, agreed with everything and stated that he, too, was a Bahá’í but was unable to leave the Church for many reasons.
And so all goes well in France! The majority of the new believers are youth, with some young families. Many of them declare their belief instantaneously, while others wait, read, ask questions and then declare. They are much the same as youth anywhere, I would guess; concerned for the future, their future, and unable to resist the contagious joy offered by Bahá’u’lláh through His followers. The teams are beautifully organized and united, often wading through tests with their eyes firmly fixed on the world-embracing vision of the future offered to mankind by the Blessed Beauty. Cultural differences amongst the team members have been quickly overcome and all have learned from one another. The uniting force is our love for, and commitment to Bahá’u’lláh. Where else could one find a group such as these American, French, Iranian, and African youth living together in complete harmony, under less than comfortable circumstances; working together 17-18 hours a day, oftentimes fatigued beyond description, yet always united? I’ve watched their faces as they offer the Message, or describe the bounty of prayer, radiating their joy. Is there any wonder that people are attracted to them?
And so I close this report, sent to you from the little village of Vescovato, high in the mountains of Corsica. My boat docked at 6 AM from Nice. It’s Sunday, and the village is filled with people at leisure. The church bells ring intermittently but all the people seem to be sitting here near me, at the little red tables in the shade of the high trees that fill the village square.
Corsica, this year, is the most difficult place for teaching. The Corsicans are tradition bound and isolated in their thoughts as is found very often with island people. They are very friendly. While waiting for the team to come to their little center near the village square, I’ve talked with many people. After all, I stand out in this village, a stranger—far from the tourist’s usual route.
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Enoch Olinga Institute
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In answer to their questions I tell them, “Je suis Bahá’í, aussi. Connaissez-vous les jeunes Bahá’ís françaises et americains?” Always their faces break into smiles and they reply, “Oui, oui” and add “The Bahá’ís are wonderful people, kind and happy.” We can’t really ask for more. Here on Corsica perhaps we are planting the seeds for a later harvest. With two weeks left in the campaign, many Corsicans are close to the Faith—and so this report is far from finished. Who knows what joys await us.
The Mansion of Bahjí
