position as representative of the Faith in Northern Ireland, is one of the
key assemblies in the British Isles, and he is immensely proud of your
achievement in at last forming it.
You may be sure he will pray for your protection and success in the Holy
Shrines, and that your numbers may increase in Belfast and your ship
weather every storm triumphantly!
With loving greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless sustain and guide you in your meritorious
activities, remove every obstacle from your path and enable you to win
still greater victories in the service of His glorious Faith.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 14 November 1947
14 November 1947
The Baha'is of Bristol, England
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your message of Oct. 21st reached our beloved Guardian, and he has
instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
Now that you are six there (judging by your signatures), a mere three is
required to enable you to reach your Goal and have your Assembly next
April.
You may be sure that he will supplicate in the Holy Shrines that these
three may be speedily found and the Assembly safely established in
accordance with the present Plan.
He assures you that your devotion and services are very deeply
appreciated.
With loving greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless your high endeavours, reward you abundantly for
your historic accomplishments, guide your steps, and aid you to extend
continually the range of your highly valued activities.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 22 September 1948
22 September 1948
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Bristol
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your letter of April 21st reached our beloved Guardian after a long delay,
and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
The formation of your Assembly, in the face of so many difficulties, was
indeed a noble achievement, and serves to prove that our struggles as
individuals, often handicapped by the sense of our own inadequacy, are
reinforced by the grace of Baha'u'llah, Who enables us to achieve the
seemingly impossible!
He urges you all to persevere in maintaining your Assembly, which forms
one of the vital links in the Baha'i chain, which will soon gird the
British Isles, never to lose heart, and to redouble your teaching labours
so as to ensure a broader foundation next year for your Assembly's
election and thus guarantee its permanency.
His prayers will be offered for you, one and all, for your success and
guidance.
With Baha'i Love,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
I was so pleased and grateful to receive your message, and I wish to
assure you all of my loving and fervent prayers for the progress of your
historic work, the extension of your activities and the realisation of
every hope you cherish for the promotion of our beloved Faith. May the
Almighty watch over you, sustain you in your valued endeavours, and aid
you to render memorable services to His Faith and its institutions.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 1 November 1947
1 November 1947
The Baha'is of Cardiff
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your welcome letter to our beloved Guardian dated Oct. 16th, has been
received, and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
He is well aware of the very real sacrifices you have made, and are making
to establish the Cause in Wales, and he wants you to know he admires your
courage and determination, and most deeply values the dedicated spirit
which animates you.
The news of your first public meeting was good news indeed, and he feels
sure your perseverance and the strong backing which you are receiving from
the N.S.A. and the Teaching Committee, will crown your efforts with the
success you so richly deserve.
His loving prayers will be offered for the speedy realisation of your
hopes, and he urges you to persevere, conscious of the historical
importance of what you are doing, and of how important your work is to the
progress of the Plan in the British Isles.
With warmest greetings to you all,
Yours in His service,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
I wish to add a few words in person and assure every one of you of my deep
admiration of the spirit you manifest, the services you render, and the
determination with which you are initiating the great historic teaching
enterprise in Wales.
You are, I assure you, often in my thoughts and prayers, and I will
supplicate the Beloved to bless continually your high and meritorious
endeavours.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 17 October 1948
17 October 1948
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff, Wales
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your letter to our beloved Guardian of April 21st was received, after a
long delay, and he was most happy to hear of the formation of your
Assembly.
With an Assembly in Cardiff, in Edinburgh, and Dublin, the representative
character of the Faith in the British Isles is fully established and the
National body greatly re-inforced.
He fully realises the difficulties which have attended your work there,
and which makes your victory all the more praiseworthy and precious. He
urges you to now courageously persevere in your work and ensure that
Cardiff has, by next April, a stable membership from which to call on for
the Spiritual Assembly's maintenance.
You may be sure that he will assist you with his prayers, and pray that
each and every one of you may be protected and assisted in your devoted
services to the Faith.
With warm greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
The formation of the first Baha'i Spiritual Assembly in Wales is an event
of great historical significance. I congratulate you on this splendid
achievement which, I trust, will be a prelude to still greater victories
in the service of our glorious Faith. I will supplicate on your behalf,
the blessings of Baha'u'llah, that your work may prosper, your plans bear
abundant fruit, and your hopes realised for the propagation of the Faith
and the establishment of its nascent institutions.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 15 February 1950
15 February 1950
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your letter of January 20th has been received, and our beloved Guardian
was simply delighted to get the Welsh pamphlet, he wants twenty-five
copies of it sent to him for distribution amongst various Baha'i libraries
here, and for our surplus stock. This booklet in their own language will
do much to convince sincere Welsh truth-seekers of the respect and
consideration with which we Baha'is approach all minorities, also of our
devout desire to share with such a talented race the glory of
Baha'u'llah's message.
He hopes there will be many new Welsh believers in the coming years, and
he assures you all of his loving prayers for the success of your devoted
efforts.
With Baha'i love,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
I was so pleased and grateful to receive your welcome letter, and the
first fruit of your services and high endeavours for the promotion of our
beloved Faith.
I feel proud of the spirit that animates you, and will supplicate the
Beloved to bless, and sustain and guide you, and enable you to extend
continually the range of your achievements. Persevere, and rest assured.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 16 September 1955
16 September 1955
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff
Dear Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of July 18th with enclosure has been received by the beloved
Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
He is delighted with the way the work is progressing in Cardiff, and that
there are now nine believers living there.
He particularly values the instant decision made during the Convention,
and consequent action taken, by Dr. Miller in leaving an excellent medical
practice in Liverpool, to settle in Cardiff, with all it entailed of
sacrifice in being separated from his wife, and in being obliged to accept
a junior post in a hospital at Cardiff. It is qualities such as these,
which the pioneer carries to his new post, which attract a reinforcing
power from on High, and enable him to create in the hearts of those who
meet him a longing to have what he possesses, and ignite in these new
hearts the flame of the love of Baha'u'llah.
The Guardian feels sure his non-Baha'i wife will likewise receive a
blessing for her part in this sacrifice, which helped to make this move
possible.
He is deeply appreciative of the Welsh translation; and is confident it
will prove to be of great assistance in the promotion of the Teachings in
Wales.
With warm Baha'i greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Spirit of Baha'u'llah guide you and your fellow-members, and
enable you, in the days to come, to reinforce the foundation that has been
laid, and to extend the range of your highly meritorious exertions and
accomplishments,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 30 January 1957
30 January 1957
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cardiff
Dear Baha'i Brother:
Your letter of December 29th was received, and the beloved Guardian was
very happy indeed to hear that the week-end school had been a success.
He is delighted to see that the Faith is progressing in Wales, and he
feels sure that the Welsh people will not only respond to the Message if
given opportunity, but contribute to the Faith a distinctive share of
their own, when they arise in its service.
He hopes that there will indeed be Welsh Summer Schools in the future.
Assuring you of his loving prayers,
With warmest greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless, guide, and sustain you and your dear co-workers in
your constant and highly meritorious activities, remove every obstacle
from your path, and enable you to enrich the record of your deeply
appreciated services to His Faith and its institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 27 August 1947
27 August 1947
To the believers who were present in Dublin at the 19 Day Feast of Kamal
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Our beloved Guardian was very happy to receive your message and to see
that the Cause is now gaining a firm footing in Eire.
He is particularly happy to welcome Mrs. Coleman into the Faith as the
first new Baha'i in Dublin, and he hopes that ere long you will be able to
establish the first historic spiritual Assembly in that city.
The Irish are tenacious in their religious beliefs, and once convinced of
the truth and significance of our glorious Faith should make ardent and
devoted Baha'is.
He assures you all of his loving prayers for the success of your devoted
labours.
With warmest greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
Your joint message rejoiced my heart. I cherish great hopes for the future
of the work so splendidly initiated in that historic island. I will pray
from the depths of my heart for the extension and consolidation of your
meritorious activities to which I attach the utmost importance. Persevere
in your glorious task, and rest assured that the Beloved, Who is watching
over you, will bless your high endeavours and fulfil your dearest hopes.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 16 October 1948
16 October 1948
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Dublin, Eire
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Our beloved Guardian was very delighted to receive your communication of
April 21st, written to him from your newly elected body.
He was particularly pleased to read the signatures of three members of the
Townshend family, as Mr. Townshend and his wife have truly sacrificed in
order to stand forward as declared and active Baha'is and assist in the
formation of this historic Assembly.
The task facing you is great, but very exhilarating. Eire lies before you,
your territory, of which you are the Mother Assembly, and however
difficult your conquest may be, it is a challenging and wonderful service
you are called upon to render.
The Irish people, with their deep religious instinct, although they may be
at first difficult to convert, once convinced of the truth, will make
staunch believers and will, he hopes, convey this Faith, with all its
promise and healing power, to other countries in the course of time.
He assures you his prayers are with you, for your progress and your
success in every field of Baha'i service.
With loving greetings,
P.S. The delay in answering your letter was due to the long time it took
to reach Haifa.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
The work achieved in Dublin during the last few months, culminating in the
formation of the first Spiritual Assembly in Ireland, is indeed highly
praiseworthy. Such a consummation is an event that will adorn the annals
of the Faith, and is in itself a prelude to still greater victories in the
days to come. I truly feel proud of the British and Irish believers who
have collaborated so devotedly and strenuously, and won so conspicuous a
victory. I will fervently supplicate on their behalf, and will await
eagerly the news of the progress of their historic achievements.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 27 January 1957
27 January 1957
The Baha'i Group, Eccles
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your letter of January 2nd was received, through the kindness of Mr.
Gregory, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his
behalf.
He will certainly pray in the Holy Shrines that you may succeed in
attaining your objective; but, even should you fail to establish a
spiritual assembly by April, you must not feel discouraged, because it is
much more important to have a solid foundation in the beginning than to
meet a date line--welcome as the assembly would be!
He admires very much the spirit animating you, and hopes that a
flourishing community will develop there.
With warm Baha'i greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved bless your efforts, guide your steps, aid you to extend
the scope of your activities, and win great victories in the service of
His glorious Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 22 September 1948
22 September 1948
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Edinburgh
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Our beloved Guardian was very happy indeed to receive your letter to him
dated April 21st--which has taken a long time to reach him, as you can
see--and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
The formation of the first Assembly of the Faith in Scotland is a great
and promising achievement. He has a profound admiration for the
characteristics of the Scots; their deep religious feelings, their frank,
open and friendly nature, their tenacity and abilities will enable them to
greatly enrich the Faith in the British Isles, and, he hopes, later in the
pioneer fields abroad.
He trusts that your Assembly, and especially those members of it who are
natives of Scotland, will soon succeed in attracting many more serious
minded truth-seekers to the Faith there. Now Edinburgh has become the
mother Assembly of Scotland, and must, by its example, set the pace, and
assist in the development of all future Scottish Baha'i Assemblies.
He assures you all he will pray for your success, for your unity, and that
Baha'u'llah may guide you all in administering the affairs of His Cause in
that city.
He was particularly interested to hear that one of the new believers had
met 'Abdu'l-Baha on His visit to Edinburgh many years ago.
With loving greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers,
Your welcome message brought deep joy to my heart and filled me with
gratitude for this latest evidence of the all-conquering power of
Baha'u'llah, as well as for the magnificent efforts exerted by British
believers in that historic and ancient city. I will, I assure you, pray
from the depths of my heart for your success, the increase of your
numbers, the multiplication of your activities, and the consolidation of
your achievements. Persevere in your meritorious endeavours, and rest
assured that the Beloved will watch over you and crown your high
endeavours with signal success.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 9 April 1949
9 April 1949
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Edinburgh
Dear Baha'i Friends:
As our beloved Guardian is at present very pressed for time in connection
with the tremendous amount of work the building of the Shrine entails at
this juncture, I am answering your loving Naw-Ruz Message very briefly on
his behalf.
You may be sure the work in Edinburgh is very dear to his heart and he
will continue to pray for its advancement, and for each and every one of
you, in the Holy Shrines.
With warmest greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless, continually and abundantly, your high endeavours,
aid you to add to your numbers, deepen your understanding of the
essentials of His Faith, extend the range of your activities, consolidate
your achievements, and win great and memorable victories for its
institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 9 September 1950
9 September 1950
To the Glasgow Baha'is
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your letter dated 5.7.50 has been received, and the beloved Guardian has
instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
The progress being made in spreading the Faith in Scotland pleases him
immensely, and he feels the Cause will find many exemplary and wonderful
servants among the Scotch people. They may be slow to be convinced, but
once they embrace a thing they do so with full conviction and great
determination to serve their belief.
He will pray that your assembly may confirm many new souls, and thus
gradually free the devoted pioneers, who went there to teach, for services
in new and maybe distant fields.
You may be sure he deeply appreciates all you have done. With loving
greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear co-workers,
I was so pleased and grateful to receive your most welcome message, and I
profoundly appreciate the noble sentiments you have expressed. I wish to
assure you that I will pray for your success from the depths of my heart,
that the Beloved may guide your steps, bless your high endeavours, and
enable you to lend a tremendous impetus to the spread of the Faith in
Scotland.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 14 March 1954
14 March 1954
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Leeds
Dear Baha'i Brother:
Your letter of February 20th has been received by the beloved Guardian,
and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
The Guardian was very happy to learn of your coming County Teaching
Conference. He has been very happy over the large number of pioneers who
have arisen in the British Isles and have gone to new territories, both in
the British Isles and in foreign lands, and he considers this a fine
record.
He hopes your deliberations will produce a still greater effort on the
part of all the friends to implant more deeply and scatter more widely the
seeds of the Faith, which are so greatly needed everywhere.
The Guardian assures you of his loving prayers for the abundant success of
your endeavours.
With warm Baha'i greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved bless, guide and sustain you, and enable you to promote
the vital interests of His Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 5 September 1950
5 September 1950
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Liverpool
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your letter dated May 7 was received, and our beloved Guardian rejoiced
over the news of the formation of your Assembly. He would have answered
you sooner had he not been so overpowered with not only the work connected
with the arcade of the Shrine's completion, but also anxiety caused by the
long and serious illness of Mr. Maxwell, its architect.
He trusts your Assembly will enlarge its community during this year, and
thus strengthen its foundations and ensure its future activities.
The victory won in the British Isles filled his heart with pride, and
encourages him to believe a brilliant future lies ahead of the community
there.
With warmest greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
Dear co-workers:
Your most welcome message cheered my heart, and I wish to assure you in
person of my sincere and profound admiration for the spirit that animates
you in your activities, as well as of my ardent prayers for you, that the
Beloved may guide and sustain you always, and enable you to win great and
memorable victories for His Faith and its infant institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 24 January 1952
24 January 1952
To the believers who were present at the Feast of Sul?an in London Centre,
January 1952
Dear Baha'i Friends:
The beloved Guardian was very happy to see that so many of you had
gathered together and united in sending your love to him, with the first
believer to come from England since the door of pilgrimage has been open.
He will remember you all in his loving prayers in the Shrines, and urges
you to devote as much of your time individually as possible to the
promotion of the goals of your present Plan.
With warmest Baha'i greetings,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty guide and sustain you in your high endeavours, bless and
protect you always, aid you to extend the range of your valued activities,
and win memorable victories in the service of His glorious Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 25 January 1929
25 January 1929
Manchester Spiritual Assembly My Dear Friend,
I am directed by our Guardian to thank you for your welcome letter of
January 11th.
He has been very pleased to learn of the more rapid progress of the Cause
in Manchester and of a greater measure of unity among the friends. He is
glad that Mr. Hall is taking this initiative and he sincerely trusts that
you will all persevere in your endeavours, will keep dear the necessity
for harmony and unity and thus make your group a progressive, enthusiastic
and worthy Baha'i centre in England. He appreciated your efforts and that
of all friends in Manchester. He wishes you please to convey to them an
expression of his heartfelt love and good wishes.
With best regards, Sincerely in His Service,
[From the Guardian:]
My Dear co-worker,
I am delighted with the news you give me. The friends in Manchester occupy
a warm and abiding place in my heart. The fragrant memory of my visit to
them is still fresh and vivid in my mind. I will continue to supplicate at
the Beloved's Shrine for each one of them the Almighty's richest
blessings, that they may be guided and strengthened to render in the days
to come inestimable services to the sacred Threshold.
With my best wishes to your dear relatives,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 20 July 1932
20 July 1932
Manchester Spiritual Assembly
Dear Baha'i Sister,
Shoghi Effendi was greatly pleased to receive your kind letter of June
24th, 1932, and he has requested me to address you these few lines
expressing his heartfelt appreciation of the precious and most valuable
steps taken by our Manchester friends towards a greater extension and
consolidation of the Cause.
The Guardian was specially glad to hear that you have established a new
Baha'i Centre and he fervently hopes that as a result of this new move the
interests of the Faith will be promoted and its teachings will succeed in
confirming some new souls.
The precious efforts so continuously exerted by our Manchester Baha'is and
particularly by our beloved Mr. Hall and Mr. Sugar will undoubtedly yield
their fruits in a not very distant future. But the friends should
persevere in their task and not let any obstacle, however great, hinder
their onward march. In these days of sufferings and hardships, patience
and hope are indispensable for the success of any idea or plan.
In closing may I assure you of our Guardian's best wishes and ask you to
extend to all our Manchester Baha'is the expression of his heartfelt
thanks and appreciation.
Yours in His Service,
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved bless your high and unsparing efforts, enable you to
extend the scope of your activities, and consolidate the foundations of
the Faith in that great city.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 28 July 1950
28 July 1950
The Manchester Spiritual Assembly
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Your letter has been received, dated June 6th, and our beloved Guardian
has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.