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"lighten and uplift
them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses"
-Baha'u'llah
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Memorial to
a shining star
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LONDON,
United Kingdom, 10 August 2003 (BWNS) --
When British Baha'is cleaned a gravestone in a
London cemetery recently they confirmed they had
found the resting place of a figure of great
historical importance.
Concealed
under clods of earth and long grass on the
gravestone in Hampstead Municipal Cemetery was
the name of Lady Blomfield, one of the most
prominent Western Baha'is in the time of
'Abdu'l-Baha.
Also
recorded was the name of her daughter, Mary
(Esther) Basil Hall, a devoted Baha'i and a
generous benefactor to the Faith.
The
absence of any direct family members had led to
the grave's disrepair, but that was about to
change -- the Baha'is received permission from
cemetery authorities to erect a new headstone.
That
engraved headstone now stands as dignified
memorial to Lady Blomfield and her daughter, one
befitting a future visiting place for Baha'is
from all over the world. |
Sara Louisa, Lady Blomfield (1859-1939)
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Sara
Louisa, Lady Blomfield (1859-1939) was renowned as a
humanitarian who was involved in the establishment of
the Save the Children Fund. The worldwide Baha'i
community remembers her for the significant role she
played as a participant in, and recorder of, Baha'i
history.
She hosted
'Abdu'l-Baha on His visits to London in 1911 and 1913.
She took copious notes of His talks in Paris. They form
the substance of "Paris Talks," still one of
the most widely-circulated Baha'i books.
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As a
tribute to her, 'Abdu'l-Baha bestowed upon her the
name "Sitarih Khanum" (in Persian,
"sitarih" means "star", and
"khanum" means "lady").
After
the death of 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1921, Lady Blomfield
accompanied His grieving grandson Shoghi Effendi
back from England, where he was a student at
Oxford University, to Haifa. He became the Head of
the Faith, and later consulted with Lady Blomfield
about plans for its future activities.
While
in Haifa, Lady Blomfield interviewed members of
Baha'u'llah's family. Those recorded
recollections, together with her account of the
days when she hosted 'Abdu'l-Baha, make up the
contents of her book, "The Chosen
Highway." |
New headstone for Lady Blomfield and her
daughter. |
In the 1940
preface to "The Chosen Highway," the eminent
historian Hasan Balyuzi (later to be honored by Shoghi
Effendi with the title Hand of the Cause) said the book
would hand a message "rich in enlightenment"
to generations unborn and would eternally merit the
esteem of historians.
Describing
Lady Blomfield as a gracious lady who served the Cause
of Baha'u'llah with never-failing vigor and devotion,
Mr. Balyuzi went on to mention "the contagion of
her enthusiasm and the brilliance of her talk and
description...the intense light of her faith and the
captivating charm of her presence."
Lady Blomfield. |
Born
in Ireland, Lady Blomfield was renowned as a
London society hostess. She was the second wife of
a distinguished architect, Sir Arthur Blomfield.
In contrast to many women of her generation and
position -- who occupied themselves primarily with
the social events of "polite society" --
Lady Blomfield spent her time in religious and
humanitarian activities.
She
was a fearless supporter of the suffragettes and a
protector of the rights of women, children,
prisoners and animals, a defender of the oppressed
and an ardent promoter of peace and
inter-religious understanding. She was actively
involved with the Save the Children Fund from its
foundation until her death.
Lady
Blomfield's acceptance of the Baha'i teachings in
1907 marked the turning point in a lifelong quest
for spiritual truth. She was the first person of
Irish birth to become a Baha'i. |
Through her
identification with the principles of the Baha'i Faith
came an increased desire to see justice and equality
established in the world, a concern expressed in her
selfless involvement in all manner of philanthropic
causes as well as in direct service to the needy or
oppressed, including her close involvement with the
League of Nations and the welfare of the world's
children.
She
actively called upon her friends in the British
Parliament to defend the persecuted Baha'is of Persia
(now Iran).
Lady
Blomfield also served for eight years as a member of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles. She
gave many talks about the Faith, and supported artistic
activities in the community including those of a Baha'i
Theatre Group in London. She maintained correspondence
with Baha'is all over the world.
Her
daughter, Mary Basil Hall, who had been given the name
of "Parvine" (a Persian name of a star) by
'Abdu'l-Baha, served the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha'is of the British Isles for five years.
She
described her mother as a "wonderful personality
and a deeply loved mother" who faced difficulties
with "radiant acquiescence and invincible
faith."
It was
partly due to Mrs. Hall's generous bequest that the
National Spiritual Assembly was able to buy what is now
the national Baha'i center at 27 Rutland Gate, London.
(Story
compiled from an article by Rob Weinberg in the
"Baha'i Journal of the United Kingdom"
May/June 2003, with supplementary information from
"The Chosen Highway" and "The Baha'i
World," volume VIII.)
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| Published in Bahá'í
World News Service |
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