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Message to Centenary Convention

14 May 1944

HAIL WITH GLAD GRATEFUL HEART HISTORIC ASSEMBLY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES FOLLOWERS FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH THROUGHOUT WESTERN HEMISPHERE PARTICIPATING FIRST ALL-AMERICA CONVENTION GATHERED VICINITY FIRST BAHÁ’Í CENTER WESTERN WORLD BENEATH DOME FIRST MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR WEST TO COMMEMORATE ALIKE THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY FOUNDING FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH AND BIRTH ‘ABDU’L‑BAHÁ FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN OCCIDENT AND CELEBRATE COMPLETION EXTERIOR ORNAMENTATION MOST HALLOWED HOUSE WORSHIP ENTIRE BAHÁ’Í WORLD. RECALL WITH PROFOUND EMOTION ON THIS SOLEMN AUSPICIOUS OCCASION MILESTONES PATH PROGRESS COMMUNITY WHOSE RISE ESTABLISHMENT CONSTITUTE ONE OF NOBLEST EPISODES HISTORY FIRST BAHÁ’Í CENTURY. CALLED INTO BEING THROUGH OPERATION WILL CENTER BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S COVENANT ENERGIZED AT HOUR BIRTH BY DYNAMIC SPIRIT COMMUNICATED TO IT BY BAND FIRST RETURNING PILGRIMS PURGED IN ITS INFANCY FIERY TESTS INVOLVING DEFECTION ITS ACKNOWLEDGED FOUNDER⁶⁷ NURSED THROUGH DESPATCH UNNUMBERED TABLETS BY VIGILANT MASTER AS WELL AS SUCCESSIVE MESSENGERS DESIGNED SUPPORT ITS INFANT STRENGTH LAUNCHED ITS RAPID CAREER THROUGH SERIES INSTITUTIONAL ACTS AND MISSIONARY JOURNEYS SIGNALIZING FIRST STIRRINGS ITS COMMUNITY LIFE INFINITELY ENRICHED BY PRICELESS BENEFITS CONFERRED ITS MEMBERS COURSE ‘ABDU’L‑BAHÁ’S SOJOURN THEIR MIDST INVESTED UNIQUE MISSION THROUGH REVELATION TABLETS DIVINE PLAN FIRMLY KNIT THROUGH PROCESSES PROCLAIMING EMERGENCE DIVINELY APPOINTED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER IMMORTALIZED THROUGH SIGNAL ACTS ITS ILLUSTRIOUS MEMBER WHO SUCCEEDED WINNING ALLEGIANCE ROYALTY ITS CAUSE CONSUMMATING ITS FIFTY-YEAR RECORD ACHIEVEMENTS THROUGH TOTAL VICTORY SEVEN YEAR PLAN THEREBY SEALING TRIUMPH FIRST STAGE MISSION BESTOWED ‘ABDU’L‑BAHÁ THIS REPEATEDLY BLESSED MUCH ENVIED COMMUNITY DESERVES BE ACCLAIMED TORCHBEARER CIVILIZATION FOUNDATIONS OF WHICH FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH IS DESTINED UNASSAILABLY ESTABLISH COURSE SECOND BAHÁ’Í CENTURY. AM MOVED PAY WELL DESERVED TRIBUTE AT THIS GREAT TURNING-POINT CAREER SO PRIVILEGED COMMUNITY TO GALLANT BAND ITS APOSTOLIC FOUNDERS WHOSE DEEDS HERALDED DAWN DAY COVENANT WEST TO ITS INTREPID PIONEERS WHO LABORED ENLARGE BOUNDS FAITH FIVE CONTINENTS TO ITS INDEFATIGABLE ADMINISTRATORS WHOSE HANDS REARED FABRIC ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER TO ITS HEROIC MARTYRS WHO FOLLOWED FOOTSTEPS DAWN-BREAKERS HEROIC AGE TO ITS ITINERANT TEACHERS WHO BROADCAST ITS MESSAGE TO ITS VALIANT DEFENDERS WHO WITH WRITTEN SPOKEN WORD PLEADED ITS CAUSE AND REPULSED ATTACKS ITS ADVERSARIES TO ITS MUNIFICENT SUPPORTERS WHOSE LIBERALITY ACCELERATED EXPANSION ITS MANIFOLD ACTIVITIES AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST TO MASS ITS STOUTHEARTED SELF-DENYING MEMBERS WHOSE STRENUOUS CEASELESS CONCERTED EFFORTS SO DECISIVELY CONTRIBUTED CONSOLIDATION AND BROADENING ITS FOUNDATIONS. DESIRE DIRECT PARTICULAR APPEAL LATIN AMERICAN REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATING CENTENNIAL CONVENTION DELIBERATE MEASURES REINFORCE TIES BINDING THEM SISTER COMMUNITY UNITEDLY DEVISE MEANS INAUGURATION TEACHING CAMPAIGNS RESPECTIVE REPUBLICS DISSEMINATION BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE MULTIPLICATION BAHÁ’Í ADMINISTRATIVE CENTERS AS PRELIMINARY STEPS FORMATION BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES AND LEND INCREASING IMPETUS TO PROSECUTION ANY ENTERPRISE LAUNCHED CARRY STILL FURTHER PLAN CONCEIVED BY ‘ABDU’L‑BAHÁ FOR AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY.