Bahá'í Faith in Costa Rica
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Costa Rica begins when `Abdu'l-Bahá
mentions it as one of the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to in 1919. However the first pioneers
began to settle in Coast Rica in 1940 followed quickly by the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly being elected in San José
in April 1941. The National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1961. As of 2009 the national community includes various peoples and tribes and over 4,000 members organized groups in over 30 locations throughout the country.
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book Tablets of the Divine Plan
. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin America
n regions and was written on April 8, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War
and the Spanish flu
. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919. After mentioning the need for the message of the religion to visit the Latin American countries `Abdu'l-Bahá continues:
Following the Tablets and about the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá's passing in 1921, a few other Bahá'ís began moving to, or at least visiting, Latin America.
, who was named `Abdu'l-Bahá's successor, wrote a cable
on May 1, 1936 to the Bahá'í Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of `Abdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin. In his cable he wrote:
Following the May 1st cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent pioneers
to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada was appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Bahá'í North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Bahá'ís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of the Bahá'í House of Worship
in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1937 the First Seven Year Plan (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Bahá'ís the goal of establishing the Bahá'í Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Bahá'ís communities and assemblies began to form in 1938 across Latin America.
. There were four Costa Ricans convert to the religion by August 1940. In October 1940 the group was able to have printed a translation of a pamphlet authored by Shoghi Effendi characterizing the religion. By March 1941 there were 10 Bahá'ís in San José
and they were able to elect the first local spiritual assembly in San José in April 1941 and by November a study group was established in the Puntarenas Province
.
. After first arriving in Panama in January 1940 and working for a time in San Salvador John Eichenauer pioneered in Costa Rica starting October 1941 for a time and his activities were covered in local newspapers before he moved onto Honduras in 1942. He was drafted by June 1943 and left the area. Eichenauer would later play an important role in the re-development of the Bahá'í Faith in Germany
. After the first conversions in January 1942 in April 1943 an assembly was elected in Puntarenas
and by June a group studying the religion began in Alajuela Province
.
From this advertising 45 enquiries came. In response to these letters individual letters were returned with pamphlets. Upon further letters pains were taken to answer questions and the enquirer was asked if they wanted to start a class in their area and receive Bahá'í literature
. Over time and further communication further books were sent and then they were offered a declaration card, and if registered they were offered the chance to form a registered group. In this fashion groups of Bahá'ís were established in Quepos
, Limón
, Turrialba
, Ciudad Quesada
, aka San Carlos, and Heredia
. In 1947 there was an assembly elected in Quepos though the brief Costa Rican Civil War
stopped its meetings for a time. By October 1947 this method was being used in Chile (and continued at least into 1966.) Chile returned the favor when Lucha G. de Padilla, wife of the former consul-general of Chile to the United States, came to Costa Rica in May 1948 after joining the religion by January 1942 though Costa Rica was increasingly sending out pioneers of its own. However there was disruption in the community that required "re-activating" the community in San Jose by April 1950, other assemblies having failed to be re-elected though the regional committees continued operation.
, visited the reformed community in Limón
in 1953. The 1954 elected regional assembly also met in San Jose and pioneers returned to Puntarenas and Heredia while the assembly of Escasu was again elected. In April 1956 Alajuela was again listed as an active community (but not an assembly yet.) In 1958 Esmarilda Thompson de Vega pioneered into the rural lands near Guanacaste. In July 1960 the last convention for the regional assembly was again held in San Jose.
In 1961 Costa Rican Bahá'ís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Uruca
. The convention was attended by Hand of the Cause Dhikru'llah Khadem. The elected assembly was composed of Esteban Canales, Richard Milkovich, Humberto Ulloa F., Theodore Cortazzi, Antonio Soto G., Jose Barquero, Edgard Gomez, Aaron Barnes, John Rutan. A number of pioneers came and went over the period into the 1960s and assembly statuses fluctuated - two assemblies were noted in 1963 in Escazu and San José
. In 1963 the members of the National Assembly, and thus participated in the first election of the Universal House of Justice
, were Jose Baltodano, Aaron J. Bames, Esteban Canales, Theodore Cortazzi, Jean Dobbs, Richard Mirkovich, John Rutan, Antonio Soto, and Fernando Soto.
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. Below you will find a number of internal and external projects Bahá'ís in Costa Rica have entered into over the years. Meanwhile there were developments in the religion in other ways too. In 1984-5 official and semi-official visits by distinguished visitors to the Bahá'í World Centre
have increased and included the ambassador to Israel from Costa Rica at roughly the same time musicians from 14 countries met for an international conference for Baha'i musicians, including Charles Wolcott
, which served as a exhibition of indigenous dance and music, a memorial to Bahá'ís suffering Persecution
and an opportunity to visit a local children's hospital, orphanage, a school and a local theatre to play for children and staff - two traveling musicians joined the religion during the conference. At the end of 1985 Costa Rica co-sponsored Resolution 40/141 of the United Nations General Assembly adopted by a vote of 53-30 with 45 abstentions concerning the human rights situation in Iran even though a number of Arab and Muslim delegations made it clear that they would support the resolution if, and only if, the references to the Bahá'ís were deleted. About the same time the Bahá'ís of Costa Rica hosted an awards banquet for Human Rights giving awards to Luis Demetrio Tinoco Castro, the original delegate from Costa Rica for the founding of the United Nations, and the first signatory of the first statement on human rights offered by the UN. In 1987 Bahá'ís hosted an even at the national center by inviting people from Taiwan, Korea and Indonesia in Costa Rica to an International Bahá'í Dinner. Also in 1987 the Bahá'ís of Costa Rica co-sponsored a Family Education for Peace seminar at University for Peace
with the Society of the Friends (Quacker) at which a number of papers were presented from authors across North America. About 30 Bahá'ís from eight countries participated in a similar seminar held with an interfaith prayer service for peace sponsored by (and at) the University for Peace and the government of Costa Rica in 1990 - the interfaith service was televised live in Costa Rica.
in 1980 and then she lived many of her last years in Costa Rica until she died in 2003. Cecilia King Blake is among those that continued to arrive and lived there since the 1970s and is named as having an influence on the growth of the religion across Costa Rica and nearby countries. Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum
visited Costa Rica in 1981 as part of visiting six Central American countries. In Costa Rica she met president Rodrigo Carazo Odio
, one of his advisers and spent nearly an hour with the president's wife. She also participated in a weekend conference for believers, spoke at a large public meeting and a unity feast, and made a trip by air to Talamanca.
. In the national convention of 1964 members of the Talamanca
and Terraba (see Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica) were among the delegates. In 1966 construction began on a new teaching institute on the Bahá'í endowment property in Alajuela and also in 1966 the community raised the number of assemblies from fourteen to twenty. In February 1970 pioneer family of Samuel and Teresa Garcia and their four children, native Costa Ricans, in February 1970 to the area of Guanacaste seeking to identify members of lapsed communities. Come April 1970 eight Local Assemblies were re-established following which a number of programs were initiated to solidify the understanding of some of these new Bahá'ís. In 1980 two teams of Native American Baha'is from Alaska, Canada and the United States representing 10 tribes under the name Trail of Light traveled from the north to the south starting mid June and taught in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and finally Ecuador. While in Panama they gathered with more than 1,000 Guaymi Bahá'ís joined by Costa Rican Guaymi, Talamanca, Teribe representatives and they agreed on founding a Native Council for the Panamanian and Costa Rican tribes. In 1984 a reprise of the 'Trail of Light' was undertaken when an international team of five Bahá'ís spent 17 days in Guatemala; they were a Mapuche Indian from Chile, a Quechua from Peru, a Bribri
from Costa Rica, and two Guaymis from Panama. A beautification project in 1984 was held in Guanacaste province inspired by the Bahá'í gardens
on Mt. Carmel as well as reading prayers - thirty people joined the religion during the project. There was also a chance to record some Bribri chanted prayers which would be broadcast on the radio. A 1984-5 continuation of the 'Trail of Light' process brought Costa Rican indigenous Bahá'ís into Veracruz Mexico. In 1988 Costa Rica was represented at the fifth Continental Indigenous Council among the 400 participants.
. However a minibus full of young people came through Honduras with only minor difficulties and two Nicaraguan youth got through. Total attendance was about seventy-five. 1977 also saw the first time a Bahá'í float was entered in one of the annualfestivals in Santa Cruz. A larger conference of about 200 gathered in January 1978. Some of the attendees, together with various adults, then took a trip into Guanacaste province where over a short time 14 new assemblies were founded and then they extended work into Meseta province (see San Ramón
for mention of this remote province) where several groups were re-contacted and a new assembly elected. In 1983 the Universal House of Justice
recognized the twin youth conferences of Honduras and Costa Rica held in early March - a challenge representing a substantial increase in the number of youth Bahá'ís - and called on them to consider the example of `Abdu'l-Bahá
in civilizing influences they should undertake individually and collectively. In the fall of 1984 a permanent site for the National Youth Institute was chosen and plans were developed for it to serve as a center for the arts and performance, agriculture and outreach programs. A television crew made up of two youth from EI Salvador, a Baháí from Venezuela, and two non-Baha'i volunteers filmed Costa Rica's 1988 international youth conference which was attended by 120 people for a program to be aired in El Salvador.
and Martha Root
and mentioned local Bahá'í women who pioneered to Costa Rica when the religion was first being established in Costa Rica.
, Puntarenas
and Limón
provinces, and indigenous peoples Bribri
, Cabecar and Guaymí
. The Bahá'ís estimate the membership in Costa Rica at 4,000 members and has organized communities in over 30 locations throughout the country. The Association of Religion Data Archives
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
) estimated some 12,500 Bahá'ís.
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
mentions it as one of the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to in 1919. However the first pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
began to settle in Coast Rica in 1940 followed quickly by the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly being elected in San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
in April 1941. The National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1961. As of 2009 the national community includes various peoples and tribes and over 4,000 members organized groups in over 30 locations throughout the country.
`Abdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan
`Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book Tablets of the Divine Plan
Tablets of the Divine Plan
The Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 letters written between September 1916 and March 1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá to Bahá'ís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were printed in America in Star of the West - Vol. VII, No. 10, September 8,...
. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n regions and was written on April 8, 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb was a Persian-American author and Bahá'í who co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and West in New York, and was excommunicated from the Bahá'í Faith in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi.-Early life:...
on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919. After mentioning the need for the message of the religion to visit the Latin American countries `Abdu'l-Bahá continues:
... becoming severed from rest and composure of the world, [they] may arise and travel throughout AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, the republic of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and south of Mexico in the Central American republics, such as GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
and BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
...
Following the Tablets and about the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá's passing in 1921, a few other Bahá'ís began moving to, or at least visiting, Latin America.
Seven Year Plan and succeeding decades
Shoghi EffendiShoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, who was named `Abdu'l-Bahá's successor, wrote a cable
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
on May 1, 1936 to the Bahá'í Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of `Abdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin. In his cable he wrote:
"Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal voiced by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Tablets of the Divine Plan. Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Bahá'í Era drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order."
Following the May 1st cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent pioneers
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada was appointed the Inter-America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Bahá'í North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Bahá'ís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of the Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1937 the First Seven Year Plan (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Bahá'ís the goal of establishing the Bahá'í Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Bahá'ís communities and assemblies began to form in 1938 across Latin America.
First arrivals
In March 1940 Gayle Woolson came from the United States as the first pioneer to settle in Costa Rica. She was joined by Almalia Ford before April when they, along with four Costa Ricans, held a memorial service for the death of May MaxwellMay Maxwell
Mary "May" Maxwell , an early American member of the Bahá'í Faith.-Early life:...
. There were four Costa Ricans convert to the religion by August 1940. In October 1940 the group was able to have printed a translation of a pamphlet authored by Shoghi Effendi characterizing the religion. By March 1941 there were 10 Bahá'ís in San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
and they were able to elect the first local spiritual assembly in San José in April 1941 and by November a study group was established in the Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
.
Wider attention and movement
After starting plans in January 1941 for a radio broadcast by Ford covering Central and South America the broadcast was successfully accomplished November 26, 1941. By June 1942 magazines in Costa Rica were publishing stories on the religion including Repertorio Americano of Joaquín García MongeJoaquín García Monge
Joaquín García Monge is considered one of Costa Rica's most important writers. He was born in Desamparados, Costa Rica in 1881 and was educated in both Costa Rica and Chile, where he fell under the influence of the leading literary currents of his time...
. After first arriving in Panama in January 1940 and working for a time in San Salvador John Eichenauer pioneered in Costa Rica starting October 1941 for a time and his activities were covered in local newspapers before he moved onto Honduras in 1942. He was drafted by June 1943 and left the area. Eichenauer would later play an important role in the re-development of the Bahá'í Faith in Germany
Bahá'í Faith in Germany
Though mentioned in the Bahá'í literature in the 19th century, the Bahá'í Faith in Germany begins in the early 20th century when two emigrants to the United States returned on prolonged visits to Germany bringing their newfound religion. The first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly was established...
. After the first conversions in January 1942 in April 1943 an assembly was elected in Puntarenas
Puntarenas
Puntarenas is the capital and largest city in the province Puntarenas, Costa Rica, at the Pacific coast. The eponymous and oddly shaped province has its largest section in the South, far from the capital.Some 100,000 live in the city and close towns...
and by June a group studying the religion began in Alajuela Province
Alajuela Province
Alajuela is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north, and clockwise the provinces Heredia, San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste...
.
Latin American connections
An All-American Convention was held in 1944, and Raul Contreras was the delegate from Costa Rica. At the same time, Gerardo Vega, of Costa Rica, was the first Latin-American native to pioneer when he began work in Panama. After 1946 Woolson became more involved in developments in Panama and a regional committee overseeing Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua was appointed. In January 1947 Panama City hosted the first congress of the northern Latin Americas to build a new consciousness of unity among the Bahá'ís of Central America, Mexico and the West Indies to focus energies for the election of a regional national assembly. By July 1947 Costa Rican pioneer Marcia Steward was appointed secretary of the Central American Teaching Committee and planning a periodical for the region. Secretary for this publication would be Guillermo Arias. Retrospectively a stated purpose for the committee was to facilitate a shift in the balance of roles from North American guidance and Latin cooperation to Latin guidance and North American cooperation. The process was well underway by 1950 and was to be enforced about 1953.A new campaign
At the Panamanian conference Steward mentioned a campaign had begun and demanded her return to Costa Rica. It was explained more in May 1947 that she and others had advertised in major newspapers of several cities along these lines:We are seeking people of good will to organize a Center of Study and Teaching founded on the following principles (a formulation of Bahá'í teachingsBahá'í teachingsThe Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
). This movement already has affiliated groups established in all the major countries of the world, which function by means of the collective consultation of all their members. Without obligation, you may ask for literature and every kind of information by writing to (address in San Jose).
From this advertising 45 enquiries came. In response to these letters individual letters were returned with pamphlets. Upon further letters pains were taken to answer questions and the enquirer was asked if they wanted to start a class in their area and receive Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia...
. Over time and further communication further books were sent and then they were offered a declaration card, and if registered they were offered the chance to form a registered group. In this fashion groups of Bahá'ís were established in Quepos
Quepos
Quepos is a city in Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica. It is served by the Quepos-La Managua airport. It is located at around . It is home to approximately 14,000 people....
, Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
, Turrialba
Turrialba Canton
Turrialba is the name of the fifth canton in the province of Cartago in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of . Its estimated population as of 2009 was 70,867. The canton's capital city is Turrialba....
, Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada is a city in the district of Quesada in the cantón of San Carlos in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is the capital city of the cantón...
, aka San Carlos, and Heredia
Heredia, Costa Rica
Heredia is a city located in the Heredia province of Costa Rica and is the capital of that province. It is currently undergoing a rapid process of industrialization and is located 10 kilometers north of the country's capital, San José....
. In 1947 there was an assembly elected in Quepos though the brief Costa Rican Civil War
Costa Rican Civil War
The Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in 20th century Costa Rican history. It lasted for 44 days , during which approximately 2,000 people are believed to have died...
stopped its meetings for a time. By October 1947 this method was being used in Chile (and continued at least into 1966.) Chile returned the favor when Lucha G. de Padilla, wife of the former consul-general of Chile to the United States, came to Costa Rica in May 1948 after joining the religion by January 1942 though Costa Rica was increasingly sending out pioneers of its own. However there was disruption in the community that required "re-activating" the community in San Jose by April 1950, other assemblies having failed to be re-elected though the regional committees continued operation.
Reforming the Costa Rican community
A regional National Spiritual Assembly for Central America in 1951 when also the Quepos assembly was re-elected. A letter of the regional assembly noted that "Considerable attention is being paid to stressing the need throughout the area of a much greater understanding of the administration of the religion. Local assemblies are being taught, by means of the National Teaching Committee and the Baha'i Bulletin to acquire a much higher concept of their own importance as governing bodies. They are being groomed slowly but surely to realize that they are not merely groups of nine people gathered together in a purely spiritual unity, but nine members of a governing body, gathered together to maintain order and peace in their own communities, resolve their problems through the medium of prayer and consultation and to devise efficient ways and means of spreading the Faith in the territory under their immediate jurisdiction." The second and third meeting of the regional assembly was held in San Jose. And San Jose hosted the second election of the regional assembly in April 1952. Hand of the Cause Dorothy Beecher Baker attended the convention. Another Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah KhademDhikru'llah Khadem
Dhikru'llah Khadem was a prominent follower of the Bahá'í Faith, and was appointed by Shoghi Effendi to be a Hand of the Cause in 1952....
, visited the reformed community in Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
in 1953. The 1954 elected regional assembly also met in San Jose and pioneers returned to Puntarenas and Heredia while the assembly of Escasu was again elected. In April 1956 Alajuela was again listed as an active community (but not an assembly yet.) In 1958 Esmarilda Thompson de Vega pioneered into the rural lands near Guanacaste. In July 1960 the last convention for the regional assembly was again held in San Jose.
In 1961 Costa Rican Bahá'ís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Uruca
Uruca District, San José Canton
Uruca District, the seventh "district" of San José Canton, Costa Rica, comprises an important industrial and commercial area of San José. Commonly known as La Uruca, it's the second biggest district by area , and recognized as a heavily congested transportation hub.- Geography and Demography :La...
. The convention was attended by Hand of the Cause Dhikru'llah Khadem. The elected assembly was composed of Esteban Canales, Richard Milkovich, Humberto Ulloa F., Theodore Cortazzi, Antonio Soto G., Jose Barquero, Edgard Gomez, Aaron Barnes, John Rutan. A number of pioneers came and went over the period into the 1960s and assembly statuses fluctuated - two assemblies were noted in 1963 in Escazu and San José
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
. In 1963 the members of the National Assembly, and thus participated in the first election of the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
, were Jose Baltodano, Aaron J. Bames, Esteban Canales, Theodore Cortazzi, Jean Dobbs, Richard Mirkovich, John Rutan, Antonio Soto, and Fernando Soto.
Modern community
Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics. The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of JusticeUniversal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. Below you will find a number of internal and external projects Bahá'ís in Costa Rica have entered into over the years. Meanwhile there were developments in the religion in other ways too. In 1984-5 official and semi-official visits by distinguished visitors to the Bahá'í World Centre
Bahá'í World Centre
The Bahá'í World Centre is the name given to the spiritual and administrative centre of the Bahá'í Faith. The World Centre consists of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of the Báb and its gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, and various other buildings in the area...
have increased and included the ambassador to Israel from Costa Rica at roughly the same time musicians from 14 countries met for an international conference for Baha'i musicians, including Charles Wolcott
Charles Wolcott
Charles Wolcott served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, between 1963 and 1987.Wolcott was born in Flint, Michigan, USA...
, which served as a exhibition of indigenous dance and music, a memorial to Bahá'ís suffering Persecution
Persecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
and an opportunity to visit a local children's hospital, orphanage, a school and a local theatre to play for children and staff - two traveling musicians joined the religion during the conference. At the end of 1985 Costa Rica co-sponsored Resolution 40/141 of the United Nations General Assembly adopted by a vote of 53-30 with 45 abstentions concerning the human rights situation in Iran even though a number of Arab and Muslim delegations made it clear that they would support the resolution if, and only if, the references to the Bahá'ís were deleted. About the same time the Bahá'ís of Costa Rica hosted an awards banquet for Human Rights giving awards to Luis Demetrio Tinoco Castro, the original delegate from Costa Rica for the founding of the United Nations, and the first signatory of the first statement on human rights offered by the UN. In 1987 Bahá'ís hosted an even at the national center by inviting people from Taiwan, Korea and Indonesia in Costa Rica to an International Bahá'í Dinner. Also in 1987 the Bahá'ís of Costa Rica co-sponsored a Family Education for Peace seminar at University for Peace
University for Peace
The University for Peace was established in Costa Rica in 1980 "to provide humanity with an international institution of higher education for peace and with the aim of promoting among all human beings the spirit of understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence."At present, the UPEACE Costa...
with the Society of the Friends (Quacker) at which a number of papers were presented from authors across North America. About 30 Bahá'ís from eight countries participated in a similar seminar held with an interfaith prayer service for peace sponsored by (and at) the University for Peace and the government of Costa Rica in 1990 - the interfaith service was televised live in Costa Rica.
People
Ruth (née Yancey) Pringle is among the Bahá'ís who pioneered to Costa Rica, moving in 1953 and lived in various Latin American countries and served in various positions until she was named as a Continental CounselorInstitution of the Counsellors
The Counsellors are part of the administrative order of the Bahá'í Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1968....
in 1980 and then she lived many of her last years in Costa Rica until she died in 2003. Cecilia King Blake is among those that continued to arrive and lived there since the 1970s and is named as having an influence on the growth of the religion across Costa Rica and nearby countries. Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum
Rúhíyyih Khanum
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum , born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921–1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957–1963...
visited Costa Rica in 1981 as part of visiting six Central American countries. In Costa Rica she met president Rodrigo Carazo Odio
Rodrigo Carazo Odio
Rodrigo José Ramón Francisco de Jesús Carazo Odio served as President of Costa Rica from 8 May 1978 to 8 May 1982.Carazo was born in 1926 in Cartago...
, one of his advisers and spent nearly an hour with the president's wife. She also participated in a weekend conference for believers, spoke at a large public meeting and a unity feast, and made a trip by air to Talamanca.
Indigenous peoples
After the national assembly sponsored a four-day Indian school in Amubre, Talamanc near the Sixaola RiverSixaola River
The Sixaola River is a river in southern Limón Province, Costa Rica. It flows from the Cordillera Talamanca to the Caribbean Sea northeast of Sixaola at . The river's headwaters are part of the La Amistad International Park. For part of its length, the river forms the border between Limón...
. In the national convention of 1964 members of the Talamanca
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
and Terraba (see Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica) were among the delegates. In 1966 construction began on a new teaching institute on the Bahá'í endowment property in Alajuela and also in 1966 the community raised the number of assemblies from fourteen to twenty. In February 1970 pioneer family of Samuel and Teresa Garcia and their four children, native Costa Ricans, in February 1970 to the area of Guanacaste seeking to identify members of lapsed communities. Come April 1970 eight Local Assemblies were re-established following which a number of programs were initiated to solidify the understanding of some of these new Bahá'ís. In 1980 two teams of Native American Baha'is from Alaska, Canada and the United States representing 10 tribes under the name Trail of Light traveled from the north to the south starting mid June and taught in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and finally Ecuador. While in Panama they gathered with more than 1,000 Guaymi Bahá'ís joined by Costa Rican Guaymi, Talamanca, Teribe representatives and they agreed on founding a Native Council for the Panamanian and Costa Rican tribes. In 1984 a reprise of the 'Trail of Light' was undertaken when an international team of five Bahá'ís spent 17 days in Guatemala; they were a Mapuche Indian from Chile, a Quechua from Peru, a Bribri
Bribri
The Bribri are an indigenous tribe from Costa Rica. They live in the Talamanca Canton in Limón Province of Costa Rica. They speak the Bribri language and Spanish. There are varying estimates of the population of the tribe. According to a census by the Ministerio de Salud, there are 11,500 Bribri...
from Costa Rica, and two Guaymis from Panama. A beautification project in 1984 was held in Guanacaste province inspired by the Bahá'í gardens
Terraces (Bahá'í)
The Terraces of the Bahá'í Faith, also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The architect is Fariborz Sahba from Iran...
on Mt. Carmel as well as reading prayers - thirty people joined the religion during the project. There was also a chance to record some Bribri chanted prayers which would be broadcast on the radio. A 1984-5 continuation of the 'Trail of Light' process brought Costa Rican indigenous Bahá'ís into Veracruz Mexico. In 1988 Costa Rica was represented at the fifth Continental Indigenous Council among the 400 participants.
Youth
The first international Baha'i Youth Conference held in Costa Rica came about in 1972 two days after the Managua earthquake1972 Nicaragua earthquake
The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake was an earthquake that occurred at 12:29 a.m. local time on Saturday, December 23, 1972 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a magnitude of 6.2 and occurred at a depth of about 5 kilometers beneath the centre of the city. Within an hour after the main...
. However a minibus full of young people came through Honduras with only minor difficulties and two Nicaraguan youth got through. Total attendance was about seventy-five. 1977 also saw the first time a Bahá'í float was entered in one of the annualfestivals in Santa Cruz. A larger conference of about 200 gathered in January 1978. Some of the attendees, together with various adults, then took a trip into Guanacaste province where over a short time 14 new assemblies were founded and then they extended work into Meseta province (see San Ramón
San Ramón, Costa Rica
San Ramón is a city of San Ramón Canton in Alajuela Province in Costa Rica. The central municipality of San Ramón covers an area of 1.29 km2, and has a population of 10,710. Adjoining distritos are also part of the city....
for mention of this remote province) where several groups were re-contacted and a new assembly elected. In 1983 the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
recognized the twin youth conferences of Honduras and Costa Rica held in early March - a challenge representing a substantial increase in the number of youth Bahá'ís - and called on them to consider the example of `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
in civilizing influences they should undertake individually and collectively. In the fall of 1984 a permanent site for the National Youth Institute was chosen and plans were developed for it to serve as a center for the arts and performance, agriculture and outreach programs. A television crew made up of two youth from EI Salvador, a Baháí from Venezuela, and two non-Baha'i volunteers filmed Costa Rica's 1988 international youth conference which was attended by 120 people for a program to be aired in El Salvador.
Women
In early 1976 Bahá'í women from many northern Latin American countries including Costa Rica gathered in El Salvador for a women's conference sponsored by the Continental Counselors of Central America and the event included meetings among the Bahá'ís only as well as invited non-Bahá'ís. Some of the attendees called for further meetings and in 1977 the National Women's Committee decided to sponsor monthly teas in communities all over Costa Rica which continued into 1979. The purpose of the teas was to give Bahá'í and non-Babá'í women a chance to discuss their changing role in society, and also for non-Babá'ís to hear of the religion. Men have asked to attend and help though the focus of the discussions remained the role of women and the equality of women and men. In early 1977 an unusual conference, composed of 1/3 indigenous believers from across Central America - and some non-Bahá'í family members of them were allowed to fully attend the meeting - held in Mérida, Mexico. Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico were priority goal areas for them. In early 1980 the Bahá'í Committee for the Education of Women and Children organized a day long institute where one hundred children ages 3 to 14 and 35 adults participated in a village. In 1985 fifty-eight people from six of the seven provinces attended a Bahá'í Women's Conference which was planned to help strengthen contact between Bahá'í women of various groups in Costa Rica and to clarify the role of women in the religion. Presentations were made on the lives of May MaxwellMay Maxwell
Mary "May" Maxwell , an early American member of the Bahá'í Faith.-Early life:...
and Martha Root
Martha Root
Martha Louise Root was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously...
and mentioned local Bahá'í women who pioneered to Costa Rica when the religion was first being established in Costa Rica.
Demographics
By 1975 there were thirty-eight assemblies in Guanacaste and a total of 50 across Costa Rica. The national community is made includes both citizens of the , GuanacasteGuanacaste Province
Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica located in the northwestern part of the country, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. To the north it borders Nicaragua. To the east is the Alajuela Province, and to the southeast is the Puntarenas Province. It is the most sparsely populated of all the...
, Puntarenas
Puntarenas Province
Puntarenas is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the western part of the country, covering most of Costa Rica's Pacific Ocean coast, and it is the largest province in Costa Rica. Clockwise from the northwest it borders on the provinces Guanacaste, Alajuela, San José and Limón, and the...
and Limón
Limón
Puerto Limón, commonly known as Limón , is the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the cantón of Limón in Costa Rica. It has a population of about 60,000 , and is home to a thriving Afro-Caribbean community...
provinces, and indigenous peoples Bribri
Bribri
The Bribri are an indigenous tribe from Costa Rica. They live in the Talamanca Canton in Limón Province of Costa Rica. They speak the Bribri language and Spanish. There are varying estimates of the population of the tribe. According to a census by the Ministerio de Salud, there are 11,500 Bribri...
, Cabecar and Guaymí
Guaymí
The Guaymí or Ngäbe are an indigenous group living mainly within the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca in the Western Panamanian provinces of Veraguas, Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro, as well as in the indigenous town of Conte, Costa Rica near the extreme southern tip of the country...
. The Bahá'ís estimate the membership in Costa Rica at 4,000 members and has organized communities in over 30 locations throughout the country. The Association of Religion Data Archives
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
) estimated some 12,500 Bahá'ís.
See also
- Religion in Costa RicaReligion in Costa RicaThe most recent nationwide survey of religion in Costa Rica, conducted in 2007 by the University of Costa Rica, found that 70.5 percent of the population identify themselves as Roman Catholics , 13.8 percent state they are Evangelical Protestants, 11.3 percent report that they do not have a...
- History of Costa RicaHistory of Costa Rica-Early history:In Pre-Columbian times the Native Americans in what is now Costa Rica were part of a cultural complex known as the "Intermediate Area," between the Mesoamerican and Andean cultural regions....
- Bahá'í Faith and Native AmericansBahá'í Faith and Native AmericansThe Bahá'í Faith and Native Americans has a history reaching back to the lifetime of `Abdu'l-Bahá and has multiplied its relationships across the Americas...