Messages to the Bahá’í World: 1950–1957

Occasion approaching celebration ninth Naw-Rúz second Bahá’í century, desire share following triple announcement Bahá’í world through National Assemblies East and West. First: Safe arrival in Holy Land in the course of the last six months successive consignments of stones for the remaining facades of the Octagon and Pinnacles, eighteen window frames belonging to the Drum, one hundred tons of cement, thirty-five tons of timber, fifteen tons of steel, eight wrought iron balustrades, stones for the lower section of the Drum as well as the completion of construction of the Octagon and the erection of fifteen feet Pinnacles constituting, with the ornamental balustrades, the central adornment of the Holy Edifice. 22 The leaded glass required for twenty-four windows of the Octagon and eighteen lancet windows of the Drum, ordered. Investigations initiated for the fabrication of gilded tiles, the final material necessary for the construction of the Sepulcher.

Recall with feelings of humble thankfulness and intense joy the series of historic landmarks in the progress of the sacred enterprise, associated, first, with the formal entombment, Naw-Rúz 1909, sixty lunar years after the Báb’s martyrdom, of His dust in the vault of the Shrine; second, the laying, forty years later, Naw-Rúz 1949, of the first threshold stones of the Arcade of the Sepulcher; third, the completion, two years later, Naw-Rúz 1951, of the excavation for eight piers, designed to support the Dome, followed by the placing, a year later, on the eve of Naw-Rúz 1952, of the second crown of the same Edifice. The way is now prepared for the erection of the Drum, including eighteen windows symbolizing the eighteen Letters of the Living, the appointed transmitters of the dawning Light of the Author of the Bábí Dispensation, as well as the rearing of the golden Dome, constituting the third and final unit of the triple crown destined to irradiate its splendor in the heart of God’s Holy Mountain. Moved to pay warm, loving tribute to the Shrine’s immortal architect and Hand of the Cause, Sutherland Maxwell, and the services of Ugo Giachery, UNO Representative of the International Bahá’í Community, recently elevated to the rank of Hand of the Cause, and newly-appointed member of the International Bahá’í Council, who is ably discharging manifold responsibilities connected with the mighty undertaking.

Second announcement: The enlargement of the International Bahá’í Council. Present membership now comprises: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih, chosen liaison between me and the Council. Hands of the Cause, Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, Ugo Giachery, Leroy Ioas, President, Vice-President, member at large, Secretary-General, respectively. Jessie Revell, Ethel Revell, Lotfullah Hakim, Treasurer, Western and Eastern assistant Secretaries.

Third announcement: Following upon the missions entrusted to the Hands of the Cause in connection with the establishment of Hazíratu’l-Quds in the Dominion of Canada and Central Africa, have instructed Ugo Giachery to take in conjunction with the European Teaching Committee, immediate steps, after the conclusion of his pilgrimage, aiming at the formation, ere the termination of the American Community’s second Seven Year Plan, of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Italy and Switzerland. 23 Advise United States National Assembly arrange, through European Teaching Committee, the election on the occasion of Naw-Rúz 1953 of nineteen delegates by all local Assemblies already established in both countries. Urge convocation Riḍván same year, in the city of Florence, on the occasion of the festivities of the Bahá’í Holy Year of the first Convention for the express purpose of electing through the delegates the projected National Assembly. Appeal to the American Bahá’í community, particularly the Bahá’ís residing in Italy and Switzerland, to exert their utmost to insure in the course of the coming year the multiplication of Spiritual Assemblies in both countries, thereby broadening the basis of the projected pillar of the future Universal House of Justice. Advise European Teaching Committee, upon consummation of the glorious enterprise to issue formal invitation to their spiritual offspring, the newly-emerged National Assembly, to participate, together with its sister National Assemblies of the United States, the British Isles, and Germany, in the Intercontinental Conference in August of the same year in the capital city of Sweden. Anticipate entrusting to the youngest among the twelve National Assemblies of the Bahá’í World a specific plan enabling it, in conjunction with its sister National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í World, to promote in the course of the ten years separating the second from the Most Great Jubilee the Global Crusade designed to hoist the standard of Bahá’u’lláh in the remaining states, dependencies and islands of the whole planet. Invite the attendants to the third Bahá’í Intercontinental Conference to befittingly commemorate the undreamt-of climax of the brilliant victories won in the course of the second Seven Year Plan, eclipsing the feats accomplished in the Latin American field in the course of the first Seven Year Plan and presaging the tremendous triumph to be won in the course of the third Seven Year Plan in the African, Asiatic and Australian continents.

With throbbing heart call to mind the solemn affirmations and glowing promises recorded in the Tablets of the Divine Plan envisioning the evidences of the everlasting dominion destined to signalize the inauguration, and accompany the triumphal progress, of the mission of the vanguard of Bahá’u’lláh’s crusaders and champion builders of His world order in the European, Asiatic, African and Australian continents and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Advise European Teaching Committee to cable the text of the third announcement to the Assemblies of the capital cities of Italy and Switzerland and urge on my behalf the participation of 24 the Swiss believers in the first teaching conference in Rome on the eve of Naw-Rúz this year for consultation with their Italian collaborators on the prosecution of the soul-uplifting fateful undertaking in the heart and south of the European continent.