Bahá'í Library Online
. . . .
.
 

Search for location "Chile"

  1. from the Chronology
  2. from the Chronology Canada
  3. from the Main Catalogue
Search on wikis:

from the Chronology

date event locations tags see also
1919 Oct Martha Root visited Chile, the first Bahá'í to do so.
  • During her four-hour stay in Valparaiso she met with the Theosophical Society to speak about the Bahá'í Faith.
  • Chile Martha Root; Theosophical Society
    1920 Jan `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a Tablet to a group in Chile. [SWAB:246-50] Chile Abdul-Baha, Writings and talks of
    1940 (In the year) Marcia Atwater, from the United States, arrived in Santiago, Chile, as the first long-term pioneer. Santiago; Chile Marcia Atwater; First travel teachers and pioneers
    1947 (In the year) The first Chilean Teaching Conference was held in Santiago. Santiago; Chile Conferences, Bahai; Conferences, Teaching; Teaching; First conferences
    1947 (In the year) The first summer school in Chile took place in Loncoche on property donated by Mrs Fabienne Guillon. Loncoche; Chile Fabienne Guillon find reference
    1953 3 – 6 May 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..
  • Chicago; United States; Santiago; Chile; America Conferences, Bahai; Conferences, Teaching; Conferences, Intercontinental; Ten Year Crusade; Teaching; Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Activities; Pioneering; Elsie Austin; Dorothy Baker; Matthew Bullock; Mamie Seto; William Kenneth Christian; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Purchases and exchanges
    1953 11 Aug Virginia Orbison arrived in the Balearic Islands from a pioneer post in Spain and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for the Balearic Islands. [BW13:449]

    It was neither her first nor her last pioneer experience. Between 1942 and 1946 she pioneered to Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. After World War II she went to Madrid, Spain where she helped raise the first local spiritual assembly and she did the same thing in Barcelona the following year.

    In July of 1953 she went to the Stockholm Intercontinental Teaching Conference where she offered to pioneer to Mallorca in one of the Balearic Islands, She stayed about one year before returning to Barcelona in August of 1954 where she attended the Iberian Teaching Conference that was attended by 60 people. Late that nine, she and nine others were arrested by the police and interrogated for 18 hours. They had thought that the Bahá'í were Communists.

    In 1956 she moved to Portugal where she was elected to the first Iberian Regional Spiritual Assembly. After three years she was forced to leave by the authorities because of her Bahá'í activities, holding property and owning a telephone.

    She was asked to go to Luxembourg where she spent nine years but made little progress in establishing the Faith. She was then asked to got to Malaga, Spain and by 1972 Malaga had a local spiritual assembly so she pioneered to Margella in 1979.

    The National Spiritual Assembly asked her to write a history of the Faith in Spain which was completed in 1980.

    As was her wish, she passed to the Abha Kingdom in 1985, still a pioneer. [KoB346-347; Wikipedia]

    See also Also see Bahá'í World 19 pages 715-721 or 692-697 in the print version and Bahá'í News #586 January 1980 p2-5.

    Balearic Islands; Spain; Chile; Argentina; Bolivia; Peru; Ecuador; Brazil; Mallorca; Spain; Portugal; Luxembourg Virginia Orbison; Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Salvador and Adela Tormo arrived on the Juan Fernandez Islands and were named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:452] Juan Fernandez Islands; Chile Knights of Bahaullah; Islands
    1953 Oct Zunilda de Palacios arrived on Chiloé Island and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. [BW13:450] Chiloe Island; Chile; Latin America Knights of Bahaullah; Islands; Zunilda de Palacios
    1957 Ridván The Regional Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia was formed at Buenos Aires, Argentina. [BW13:257]
  • Prior to this time, since 1951 it had been administer by the National Spiritual Assembly of South America. [Bahaipedia NSA; South America]
  • Buenos Aires; Argentina; Chile; Uruguay; Paraguay; Bolivia National Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1961 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of Chile was formed. [BW13:258]
  • For picture see BW13:260.
  • Chile National Spiritual Assembly, formation
    1964 8 Mar A cable was sent from Temuco, Chile to the Bahá'í World Centre by Hand of the Cause Jalál Kházeh announcing that mass teaching had started among the Mapuche tribes in Cautin province in southern Chile. As of that time there were close to 9,000 Mapuche believers and more than 90 local spiritual assemblies in the provinces of Cautin, Malleco and Arauco. [BN 136 April 1979 p4-5] Temuco; Chile Mass teaching; Jalal Khazeh; Mapuche
    1974 Jun The first Alacalufe Indians to become Bahá’ís enrolled in Puerto Eden, Chile. [BW16:215] Puerto Eden; Chile First believers by background
    1985 19 Oct The Association for Bahá’í Studies, Chile, was established in Santiago. [BW19:358–9] Santiago; Chile; Latin America Bahai Studies, Associations for
    1986. 20 Dec The official opening of Radio Bahá'í Chile in Labranzo, Commune of Temuco.
  • The transmitter operated on 1160 kHz and served principally the indigenous population of Mapuche Indian community. [Bahá'í Historical Facts] iiiii
  • See BWNS1462 for a story on how this radio station served the community during the 2020 pandemic.
  • Labranzo; Chile Bahai radio; Bahai-owned radio
    1993 (In the year) The establishment of the Labranza Training Institute to complement the work of all the socio-economic development projects owned and operated by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Chile.
  • Located about 680 kms. south of Santiago, in the heart of the agricultural belt of the country, its main purpose was to serve the needs of the rural Mapuche population.
  • The operational costs were covered by a mix of contributions from individual Bahá'ís and Bahá'í institutions as well as the rental of its facilities for academic and vocational training to government agencies and Non Government Organizations (NGOs). Its staff were Bahá'í volunteers offering their services for determined periods of time.
  • The Bahá'í programs were focused on capacity building of the Mapuche population in order to allow for self-administration at the grass roots level, which included practical as well as spiritual content. It has often been used for government training programs in the areas of health, drug prevention, agriculture and rural education.
  • Chile Labranza Training Institute; Social and economic development; NSA
    2001 Ridván From the Ridván Message: "It is with profound thankfulness and joy that we announce at this auspicious moment the decision to proceed with this last project. During the Five Year Plan, erection of the Mother Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile, will commence and thus fulfill a wish clearly expressed by Shoghi Effendi." [Riḍván 2001 To the Bahá’ís of the World] Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar (House of Worship)
    2003 Ridván "In response to the call issued by the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, 185 design concepts have been received from architects and designers around the world for the Mother Temple of South America to be constructed in Santiago." [Riḍván 2003 To the Bahá’ís of the World]

    In view of the critical world situation the Universal House of Justice advised the friends to:'

      Let them strive to understand more deeply the Teachings that are relevant by reviewing letters of Shoghi Effendi which have been published in The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, particularly those entitled “The Goal of a New World Order,” “America and the Most Great Peace,” and “The Unfoldment of World Civilization.”
    Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Design; Architecture
    2003 May The announcement by the Universal House of Justice of the appointment of Siamak Hariri of Toronto, Canada, as architect of the Bahá'í Temple to be built near Santiago in Chile. [BWNS223]
  • See Ted Talk by Siamak Hariri entitled How do you build a sacred space?
  • Santiago; Chile; Toronto Siamak Hariri; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Design; Mashriqul-Adhkar (House of Worship); Architecture; Architects; BWNS
    2004 12 Feb The launch of the Web site for the temple that would be constructed in Chile. temple.cl.bahai.org [BWNS279, BWNS223] Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; BWNS
    2008 29 – 30 Nov Regional Conferences were held in Antofagasta, Chile, Manila, Philippines and Yaoundé, Cameroon. [BWNS675] Antofagasta; Chile; Manila; Philippines; Yaounde; Cameroon Conferences, Regional; BWNS
    2010 28 Nov Excavation work began on the new Bahá'í House of Worship for the South American continent, at a location in the hills of Peñalolén, a "commune" within metropolitan Santiago, at the foot of the Andes. [BWNS800] Santiago; Chile; Penalolen Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar (House of Worship); BWNS
    2013 Ridván "In Santiago, Chile, where the Mother Temple of South America was being erected, the building work continued apace. The concrete construction of the foundations, basement, and service tunnel was completed, as were the columns that will bear the superstructure. The anticipation associated with this project was growing..."[Riḍván 2013 To the Bahá’ís of the World ] Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago
    2014 1 Aug "The erection of the continental House of Worship for South America was moving towards its completion in Chile. The steel-frame superstructure had been almost entirely installed, the placement of the interior translucent stone panels was under way, and the landscaping and the construction of auxiliary facilities were progressing according to schedule. The friends in Santiago, supported by others from throughout the Americas, had been diligently striving to prepare the surrounding population for the emergence of the House of Worship; increasing numbers were participating in the community-building endeavours, and a stream of visitors were being welcomed to the Temple site for prayer and discussion on the practical and spiritual dimensions of the enterprise. Measures were being put in place in Chile in anticipation of the many demands that were sure to arise once the Temple had been inaugurated in 2016." [Message from The Universal House of Justice dated 1 August, 2014 to the Bahá’ís of the World] Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago
    2016 11 Oct The final newsreel on the construction of the Bahá'í House of Worship for South America was released as the time for the highly-anticipated dedication of the Temple approached. The video highlighted major developments over the previous year and the growing connection of the community to the Temple and the activities of service and worship that it inspired. [Video; Architect Siamak Hariri] Santiago; Chile Siamak Hariri; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Design; Architecture
    2016 13 - 16 Oct The public dedication of the Mother Temple of South America in Santiago, Chile. The opening ceremonies were attended by over 5,000 people from 110 countries. Live video coverage of the public opening ceremony was provided on the Bahá'í World News Service website for approximately 90 minutes and the video recording has been made available at that website.
  • The Mashriqul-Adhkár (Dawning-Point of God’s Remembrance) is located outside of Santiago in Peñalolen, a commune whose name means "reunion of brothers" in the local language. [BWNS1128].
  • The temple was built in the foothills of the Andes, between mountains and city. The 2,415 square-metre edice (26,000-square-feet) is essentially one large room with nine doors made of bronze. The interior is surrounded by a dome that is made up of nine elements – called petals. These begin wide at the bottom of the building and then narrow upward to meet in a spiral at the top, separated by crescent-shaped windows and a round window at the top. The outer surfaces of these petals are made of 32-millimetre-thick panels of cast glass, which have a ruddy, milky quality to them; the inner surfaces are made of smooth Portuguese marble. Both layers are translucent.
  • Each of the nine wings of the building has two surfaces – one of cast glass and one of stone both of which rest on the steel structure. Each of those two surfaces has more than 1,000 separate components in more than 150 different shapes categorized as droops, slumps, bullnoses, shoulders, elbows, or spines. Each piece, which had to be crafted in three dimensions, was shaped using digital models. [BWNS1126]
  • Canadian architect, Siamak Hariri, began work on the $20-million project in 2003. [BWNS1127] The landscape architect was Juan Grimm, one of the most well-known landscapers of Latin America.
  • The Universal House of Justice was represented by Counsellor Antonella Demonte from the International Teaching Centre.
  • Message from the Universal House of Justice.
  • Pictures
  • Day 1
  • Day 2
  • Day 3

    Specifics

      Location: Santiago, Chile
      Foundation Stone:
      Construction Period: 2013 – October 2016
      Site Dedication:13-16 October 2016
      Architect: Siamak Hariri
      Landscape Architect: Juan Grimm
      Seating:
      Dimensions:2,415 square-metre (26,000 square-feet)
      Cost: approximately $30m
      Dependencies:
      References: BWNS800, BWNS921, BWNS940, BWNS959, BWNS982, BWNS1123, BWNS1125, BWNS1055, BWNS1199
    • Since its dedication in October 2016, the Temple has been a recipient of an International Architecture Award as well as awards for structural artistry from the Institution of Structural Engineers, for innovation in architecture from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, for innovation from the American Institute of Architects, for design excellence from the Ontario Association of Architects, for “Best in Americas, Civil Buildings,” from World Architecture News, and for Architectural and Cultural design from American Architecture Prize. [BWNS1262]
    • The Temple design won the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) International Prize. This renowned prize is awarded every two years and was created to celebrate socially transformative, respectful, uplifting and inclusive architecture. [FloorNature site.]
      • This site states that since the opening some 1.4 million people have visited. Some weekend have had up to 36,000 visitors.
      • This site has some spectacular photographs.
      • The announcement that Hariri Pontarini Architects had won the prize on the 25th of October, 2019.
    • Some spectacular pictures, some of which were taken during the construction.
    • See a short video made by Hariri Pontarini Architects.
  • Santiago; Chile Mashriqul-Adhkar, Santiago; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Mother Temples; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Quick facts; Mashriqul-Adhkar (House of Worship); Siamak Hariri; Mashriqul-Adhkar, Design; Architecture; Awards; Architects; Juan Grimm; Counsellors; Marble; Gardens; BWNS; Dedications; - Basic timeline, Expanded

    from the Chronology Canada

    no results

    from the Main Catalogue

    1. Baháʼí Houses of Worship: A Visual Overview (2020). A collection of collages, exterior and interior images of Baháʼí Houses of Worship constructed, under construction, or planned worldwide. [about]
    2. Beginnings of the Bahá'í Faith in Latin America, The: Some Remembrances, by Artemus Lamb (1995). Overview of Bahá'í history in South America, with autobiographical reflections of time in Chile in the 1940s. [about]
    3. Betty Becker, Valiant Servant Pioneer, by Earl Redman (2017). The story of a Bahá’í from Kansas who moved first to Alaska to spread the Bahá’í Faith there and then to Chile. Link to document offsite. [about]
    4. El Legado de Una Nueva Profecía: Historia de la Fe Bahá'í en Chile, by Rocio Macarena Montoya Jorquera (2017-06). History of the Bahá'ís in Chile, from Martha Root's arrival in 1920, Marcia Stewart first pioneer in 1939, experiences under the Pinochet government, to the establishment of the Bahá'í Temple in 2016. [about]
    5. Guidance for Bahá'í Radio from the Bahá'í World Centre (1990). Selection of guidance received from the Bahá'í World Centre on Bahá'í radio from May, 1980 to December, 1989, on four major themes: administration; programming, training and production; finance and technical matters. [about]
    6. Singular Room, A: An Exploration of Bahá'í Houses of Worship, by Sama Shodjai (2023-12). Overview of the design principles followed in building the Bahá'í temples, and the intricacies and considerations involved in their design, using Canada as a case study. (Link to document, offsite). [about]
     
    See all locations, sorted numerically or alphabetically.

    See all tags, sorted numerically or alphabetically.

    • Locations are simplified spellings used to find documents on a similar topic but with various titles.
    • Searches match parts of a location: searching for state will also show United States.
    • 1- and 2-letter words will not be searched.
    • Please contact us if you can help add locations.
    Home Site Map Links Copyright About Contact
    .
    . .