Dearly-loved Friends,
With this issue of CommuNIqué (*) you will find a copy of a particularly important message from the Universal House of Justice. Although it is addressed to the members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors gathered in conference at the World Centre it is being made available to Bahá'ís throughout the world and when you read it you will see why. This letter sets out the progress the Faith has made in the past few years along the path set out for it by the Universal House of Justice. It explains in detail the benefits that are coming from the processes we are engaged upon. It reviews in detail the activities our communities are undertaking and what we have learned from them in our mission to spread the Message of Bahá'u'lláh. It builds upon this learning experience with guidance on how we can, indeed will, develop these activities in the future as our world-wide community grows in size and influence, as well as giving news of exciting developments.
The Bahá'í Council studied this message in session at its January meeting and found it both informative and inspiring: your Council was in no doubt that all the Friends would benefit from reading and thinking about it, which is why this copy is being made available to you.
The Universal House of Justice in its letter of 31 December to the Baha'is of the world says: “Careful study of the message by all believers and institutions will be an essential requisite for the upcoming consultations that will take place at every level of the community that will take place upon the return home of the Counsellors”. We wish you fruitful study and consultation on this weighty message. As it says in its closing paragraph:
“ … the friends need to remain ever conscious of the magnitude of the spiritual forces that are at their disposition. They are members of a community “whose world-embracing, continually consolidating activities constitute the one integrating process in a world whose institutions, secular as well as religious, are for the most part dissolving”. Of all the peoples of the world, “they alone can recognize, amidst the welter of a tempestuous age, the Hand of the Divine Redeemer that traces its course and controls its destinies. They alone are aware of the silent growth of that orderly world polity whose fabric they themselves are weaving.” it is their institutions that “will come to be regarded as the hallmark and glory of the age” they have been called upon to establish. The “building process,” to which they are consecrated, is “the one hope of a stricken society.” For, it is “actuated by the generating influence of God’s changeless Purpose, and is evolving within the framework of the Administrative Order of His Faith.”
With loving greetings, Bahá'í Council for Northern Ireland.
(*) The letter, dated 27 December 2005, to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors was distributed with the hard copy edition of CommuNIqué. An electronic file of the message a PDF file (size 690 KB) can be had by e-mailing the Secretary.
FIRST CATEGORY “A” CLUSTER IN IRELAND
In a message to the Feast of Sultan (19 January) the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Republic Ireland announced that the Stan Wrout Cluster (Limerick) had been raised to “A” status. It shared a letter from the Universal House of Justice which stated in part:
“The Universal House of Justice has received your email letter of 14 December 2005, sharing the news of the forthcoming launch of an intensive programme of growth in your Stan Wrout cluster. The progress that has been achieved in that cluster is highly encouraging, and the institutions and believers involved are warmly commended for their dedicated efforts in systematically cultivating the individual and collective capabilities required for sustainable growth. The fruits of these indispensable labours will undoubtedly become increasingly apparent as your country’s first intensive growth programme is set in motion. May the fresh energies released from this dynamic enterprise permeate your entire land and propel the advancement of the two essential movements of the Plan in other clusters.”
The Bahá'í Council eagerly looks forward to being able to share a similar message with the Friends in Northern Ireland.
COUNCIL OFFICERS
The Council would like to inform the Friends that its officers elected for this year are: Chairman: Patrick O’Mara Vice-Chairman: Iain Palin Secretary: Keith Munro Treasurer: Edwin Graham
CHILDREN'S CLASSES
The Bahá'í Council reminds the Friends that anyone wishing to teach children’s classes must be “cleared” through the Government’s POCVA scheme before they can do so. For further information contact Patricia Jamshidi.
CLASH DIARY
The Council has decided to reinstitute a CLASH DIARY to try and prevent major events around the community occurring on the same day wherever possible. If you are planning to organise a major event as a community or a committee/agency of the Council, please let Pat Craig, Office Manager for the Council, know.
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