Friends from Letterkenny, Omagh and Coleraine joined Londonderry Baha'is on 23 February for the most recent in the series of “Deepenings in Derry”.
The theme was “Hand of the Cause of God, George Townshend”, part of the commemorations to mark the 50th anniversary of his death. Keith Munro gave an inspirational insight into this extraordinary man’s life. Born in 1876, he entered service to the Church of Ireland in 1916 after a short period in America where he was a minister in the Episcopal church. Later, having become aware of the Baha'i Faith, he conscientiously researched its claims. While doing so he, three times, refused to let his name be put forward for a Bishopric and refused the Deanery of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Eventually he renounced his high rank in the Church, ‘in order to be loyal to Christ as I know him’.
His assistance to the Guardian in the translation of several works can never be under estimated. He was also a renowned author in his own right having penned such famous works as Christ and Bahá’u’lláh, The Heart of the Gospel, and The Promise of All Ages. He also wrote the introduction to God Passes By for Shoghi Effendi who once said about him, that he feels “Mr. Townshend's services to the Faith can best be rendered by his writing about it, as he obviously has an outstanding ability in this direction…”
Keith gave a very moving tribute to one of the outstanding Baha'is in the history of our Faith.
AT
Readers opening a recent issue of "County Times" (a County Londonderry newspaper) were greeted with a picture of the Baha'i house of worship in New Delhi covering more than half a page. The page was headed “Bahá'ís and Their Beliefs” and the rest of the space was taken up by a general article about the Faith. The newspaper had asked for materials for an article and these (pictures and text) were provided by the Assembly, but what was used and the very eye-catching layout that resulted was the editor's own work.
And Frank Curran wrote in his regular column in the “Derry News” of 1 March:
A good example
The Baha'i community in Derry have for long presented a picture of an organisation that stands for a generous and democratic approach to life.
Another example I noted is that the Baha'i (sic) now write their name on their official notepaper in both Irish and English. They are a fine example for us all..
(Actually the LSA headed notepaper has been bilingual for a number of years now. It was our solution to the great Londonderry-Derry dilemma, with Londonderry in the English and Derry in the Irish versions - but who's complaining?)
ISP
Oakgrove Integrated Primary school in Derry invited Dr Keith Munro to take the morning assembly on 7 March. Farrah, his grand-daughter, attends the school. Keith briefly introduced the Faith to the whole school before being Helped by Farrah and two of her friends to unfurl a large coloured banner of Blessed Is The Spot which was then read out by the assembly.
After a prayer (Refresh and gladden...) read by Farrah, the school sang Drops of One Ocean with actions. Keith read the prayer for unity and the school finished by singing We Are One. What a sight to see several hundred children and their teachers all singing loudly - with actions.
CKM
NI Travel-Teaching Coordinator Peter Black reports:
Larissa Hayward, a young Canadian Bahá'í, arrived here at the beginning of February, towards the end of her ‘year of service’ most of which had been spent in Denmark .
During her three and a half week stay in Northern Ireland, she visited Ards, Belfast, North Down , Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Omagh. She gave firesides in Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, Omagh and Ards; attended Feasts in Belfast, and visited Queens University and the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, where she met with some Baha’is and their contacts.
While in Omagh, she also took the opportunity to meet some of her Irish relatives—and got some good press coverage.
In North Down she made some ‘home visits’ to meet with elderly Baha’is in the area. She took part in a Woodland Trust ‘tree-planting’ in Newtownabbey (at Ballyclare) and revisited the community a week later to give a fireside, which was attended by four enquirers.
Larissa and friends in Newtownabbey
During a recent trip to Paris Steve Robinson (Coleraine) got in touch with the French Bahá'ís and ended up having a spiritual experience.
On Saturday the Bahá'ís took me to 4, Avenue des Camoens, the apartment where the “Paris Talks” were given. This was the highlight of the whole trip. It was like a un petit pélerinage just hours before catching the flight back.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed there for nine weeks in 1911, and it came into Bahá'í ownership in 1996. There are, unfortunately, no furnishings in dating from 1911 except possibly the bath, which is why I have pictured it here. It struck me that many Bahá'ís from NI go to the Guardian’s grave. For the same price, you could visit this apartment that the Guardian calls a holy site.
Kirsty Cartin, Newtownabbey, and Annalma Browne, Portrush, who have declared their faith and been enrolled in the Bahá'í community.
BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE