Chronology: Date 1953-05

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1953-05, sorted by date, descending

date	event	tags	firsts
1953 28 May 195-	In a message addressed on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the passing of Bahá'u'lláh, at the opening of the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi encouraged 70 pioneers to arise to fill the goals promising that a Roll of Honour with their names would be deposited at the entrance door of the inner Sanctuary of the Tomb of Bahá'u'lláh. [MBW48-49] He further elaborated in a message addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada. See the message of the 8 June 1953. [MtC177] See 1992 28 May.	Pioneers; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Roll of Honour; Bahá'u'lláh, Shrine of (Bahjí); Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre
1953 23 May 195-	The Hand of the Cause of God, Mr. Valiollah Vargha, arrived in Guayaquil accompanied by Miss Eve Nicklin, a pioneer and the spiritual mother of Perú. He also visited Quito and left the country in early July to attend the conference in Stockholm. [Heroes of God pp53-54]	Valiollah Vargha; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Eve Nicklin; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Ecuador; Quito, Ecuador; Ecuador
1953 3 – 6 May 195-	The All-America Intercontinental Teaching Conference was held in Chicago. [BW12:133] For the texts of Shoghi Effendi's messages to the conference see BW12:133–41 and MBW142–6. Twelve Hands of the Cause were present. The Guardian was represented by Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum. [BW12:143; CBN No 82 November, 1956 p3] At the conference, five members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States resigned from that body in order to go pioneering: Elsie Austin, Dorothy Baker, Matthew Bullock, Mamie Seto and Dr William Kenneth Christian. [ZK102] Extract from the second message to All-American Intercontinental Conference from Shoghi Effendi... [MBW150] .....the lands contributed in Latin America for a similar purpose approximate one-half of a million square meters, ninety thousand of which have been set aside near Santiago, Chile, for the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of South America..	Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Teaching; - Conferences, Intercontinental; Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963); Teaching; - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Pioneering; Elsie Austin; Dorothy Baker; Matthew Bullock; Mamie Seto; William Kenneth Christian; Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Santiago; Purchases and exchanges; Chicago, IL; United States (USA); Santiago, Chile; Chile; United States (USA)	first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in South America
1953 2 May 195-	The House of Worship in Wilmette, the Mother Temple of the West, was dedicated in a public ceremony. [BW12:142, BWNS218] For the text of the Guardian's message of dedication see BW12:141–2. For an account of the event see BW12:154–63. See BN No 261 November 1952 p9-10. The Temple Dedication Committee consisted of: Paul E. Haney, Mrs. Corinne True, Allen B. McDaniel, Carl Scheffler, Albert R. Windust with Horace Holley as the chairman. See The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1952 Information Statistical & Comparative p24-26 for project statistics and a chronology of events. Towards the end of his life in Tehran, Ahmad (of "Tablet of Ahmad" fame) had entrusted the original Tablet to his grandson Jamal who, in turn, out of the purity of his heart and his devotion to the Faith of God, offered it as a gift to Hand of the Cause, Trustee of Huqúq, the son and brother of two illustrious martyrs, Jinab-i-Valiyu'llah Varqá. When Jinab-i-Varqa, according to the instructions of the beloved Guardian, was sent to take part in this dedication ceremony he brought this most precious Tablet as his offering to the archives of the Bahá'ís of the United States. [A Flame of Fire by A.Q. Faizi.] See the message of the Universal House of Justice dated 1 August, 2014 for more on the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in Wilmette. See The Story of the Temple by Allen Boyer McDaniel. [CBN No43 August 1953 p4; Collins p101 7.1479] See the video The Temple History Design and Construction. Specifics Location: Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. Cook County Administration: On the same day as the internment of the sacred remains of the Báb on Mount Carmel, March 21st, 1909, the first American Bahá'í Convention opened in Chicago. The Convention established the 'Bahá'í Temple Unity', incorporated to hold title to the Temple property and to provide for its construction. A constitution was framed and an Executive Board of the Bahá'í Temple Unity elected. This body became the future National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada. [BBD39; BBRSM:106; BW10:179; GPB349; PP397; SBBH1:146; BFA2:XVII, 309; BW13:849; MBW142–3] Foundation Stone: by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 1 May, 1912 Construction Period:The purchase of the site completed: 1914. Design Chosen: 1920. Superstructure: 1921 – 1 May 1931. External Ornamentation: June 1932 -1943. Interior: 1951 Dedication: 1 May 1953 Architects: Louis Bourgeois with Alfred Shaw (interior cladding) Bourgeois became a Baha'i in New York City in 1907, and two years later responded to the call for designs for the Temple. In 1920, delegates from across the country unanimously selected his innovative design. Bourgeois traveled to Haifa to consult with 'Abdu'l-Bahá. With 'Abdu'l-Bahá's encouragement, Bourgeois refined and scaled down the size of his design. [The House of Worship Architecture] Seating: 1,191 [DP220] Dimensions: 203ft at the base and 49ft high Cost: $2.6 million (another source) $51,500 (land) plus $3,212,517.60 (construction costs 1921-1953) Dependencies: Construction of a home for the aged was began in December, 1957 and inaugurated on 1 February, 1959. It is located about three blocks away. Note: In GPB349 Shoghi Effendi states that "…this enterprise—the crowning achievement of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh in the first Bahá'í century…". References: CEBF236-241,GPB348-353, MDM121-239, The Dawning Place, The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1963 Information Statistical & Comparative p36-37. iiiii	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Wilmette; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Mother Temples; Lawh-i-Ahmad (Tablet of Ahmad (Arabic)); Gifts; Archives; Dedications; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Quick facts; Alfred Shaw; - Architects; Homes for the aged; - Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Dependencies of; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); - Basic timeline, Expanded; * Shoghi Effendi (chronology); Wilmette, IL; United States (USA)
1953 1 May 195-	The House of Worship in Wilmette was consecrated in a simple ceremony for Bahá'ís only. [BW12:143, 152; ZK93] For details of the dedication see BW12:152–4. A most wonderful and thrilling motion will appear in the world of existence," are 'Abdu'l-Bahá's own words, predicting the release of spiritual forces that must accompany the completion of this most hallowed House of Worship. "From that point of light," He, further glorifying that edifice, has written, "the spirit of teaching … will permeate to all parts of the world." And again: "Out of this Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, without doubt, thousands of Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs will be born." "It marks the inception of the Kingdom of God on earth. [CoF69 Message of 21 March 1949]	Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, Wilmette; * Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (House of Worship); Dedications; Wilmette, IL; United States (USA)
1953 May 195-	Mary and Reginald (Rex) Collison, an elderly Canadian-American couple, arrived in Ruanda-Urundi (Burundi) from Uganda and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:455] For the story of Mary Collison's life see BW15:486–8 as well as Servants of the Glory page34. Arriving in July was Dunduzu Chisza, a young Baha'i from Malawi, (then Nyasaland) The earliest Rwandan Bahá'í whose name is recorded was Alphonse Semanyenzi. [The Bahá'í Faith in Rwanda website; BWNS349] The first Bahá'í to travel through Rwanda may have been Marthe Molitor c. 1947 after becoming a Bahá'í in Belgium. She moved on to the Belgian Congo. [Taarifa]	- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Mary Collison; Rex Collison; Dunduzu Chisza; Alphonse Semanyenzi; Marthe Molitor; Ruanda-Urundi	First Baha'i in Rwanda


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