Leonora Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Leonora Holsapple Armstrong (June 23, 1895 – October 17, 1980) was the first Bahá'í
to live in Brazil
and she is regarded as a 'Spiritual Mother of the Bahá'ís of Latin America'. She went as a pioneer
to Brazil in 1921 when she was only 25 years old and due to her efforts and services for the Bahá'í Faith in Brazil
, she was appointed Councillor in 1973 by the Universal House of Justice
, the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith.
, New York
. Her father was Samuel Norris Holsapple and her mother was Grace Stirling, who served actively in civic work and had taught school. However, Grace had great problems of health and died soon after Leonora turned five years old, which caused a profound effect on Leonora and her younger sister Alethe during their childhood and adolescence.
from Ithaca, New York
on a scholarship and was elected Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. Leonora graduated from an English course in the Cornell University, she also obtained specialty in Latin
and completed studies of other languages such as German
, Spanish
and Esperanto
. She also graduated on subjects such as Literature
, Astronomy
, Botanic
, Physics
and Chemistry
. After graduation from college she taught Latin in high schools and was active in social work as her mother and grandmother had been before her.
, that impressed Leonora highly enough that she started to search about the Bahá'í Faith and also began to memorize passages and prayers from the Bahá'í Writings. Later she made her own efforts to share the Bahá'í teachings with her classmates and friends.
first came in Leonora's mind when `Abdu'l-Bahá
's Tablets of the Divine Plan
were unveiled at the Bahá'í Convention held in New York in 1919. Spontaneously, and at once, she wrote to `Abdu'l-Bahá, offering herself in service and his reply to that was:
"Thou hadst expressed thy great wish to be of service to the Divine Threshold and to heal the infirm with the Divine Panacea--the infirm who is afflicted with passion and self. Spiritual malady is more severe than physical illness for it may be that the latter may be converted by the least remedy into health and vigor, while the former will not be cured by a thousand well-known remedies . . . My hope is that thou mayest become a spiritual physician."
Leonora was very touched by the message from `Abdu'l-Bahá and also Martha Root
, a well-known Bahá'í reported who traveled widely, served as a great influence for her on choosing South America
as her destination. In her own words Leonora said:
"This hope of the Master's became my highest aspiration and when, early in 1920, I read His Tablet to Martha Root, commending her teaching work in South America and stressing the importance of its being followed up by others, it at once seemed to me that here there might be a definite task for me. A letter to Martha brought an immediate reply, with all encouragement."
Martha Root had made a historical visit to South America in 1919 and encouraged Leonora by sharing her experiences and sending a copy of her own diary notes from that period. This led Leonora to consider pioneering in the South America and she chose Brazil
as the destination.
. At that time she was only 25 years old and she did not know anyone in that country. The fact that she was a woman and single, in a time that womans had less rights and freedom, made her situation a lot more complicated but she still managed to stay in Brazil. Leonora got her first job in a very simple office through a young theosophist in the city of Santos, São Paulo
. Afterwards she started to give private English classes, which made her able to make contacts to teach the Bahá'í Faith. Sometimes when she could, Leonora would participate as a speaker in the national conferences - her first year in Rio de Janeiro, she participated in the National Congress of Esperanto which extended to São Paulo
and Santos and later to many other capitals of Brazil.
, Pará
she published her first translation (English to Portuguese) of the book Paris Talks
written by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Leonora beyond being a lecturer, educator and translator was also a social assistant, having also kept an orphanage, in Salvador, Bahia
, in the period of 1928-1930, for abandoned and needy children. In her first years in Brazil, she chose to establish herself in Salvador, Bahia and travel several of times to Belém
and Manaus
. She always had a lot of support from many theosophists and esperantists in her services. In 1927 she published many articles and folders about the Bahá'í Faith in Belém. In 1927 she was the first Bahá'í to visit and give lectures about the Bahá'í Faith in Colombia, Venezuela, Coracion, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Guyana and Suriname as part of her plan to compliment and complete Martha Root
's unfulfilled intention of visiting all the Latin American countries for the purpose of presenting the religion to an audience.
Leonora was living in Brazil when she saw to a translation into Spanish. She decided to go to Madrid
, Spain to study Spanish because Shoghi Effendi
, then head of the religion, wanted Spanish literature and she wanted to become proficient in the language. In July 1930 she boarded a French ship which first took her to several ports of call in West Africa and then to Barcelona. From Barcelona she proceeded to Madrid where she intended to take university courses. However she soon fell seriously ill for a time and was unable to enter the course at the University of Madrid. Shortly thereafter she went on Bahá'í pilgrimage
and afterwards focused her efforts in Latin and South America.
was formed in Rio de Janeiro and in 1946 a third one was formed in the city of São Paulo. In 1961 she saw the establishment of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Brazil. In 1973, due to her services dedicated for the Bahá'í Faith in Brazil, Leonora was appointed Counciler by the Universal House of Justice
, the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. The Councilers are those who act in the continental levels and dedicate the time for the education and the protection of the Bahá'í Cause.
"Woman, light of the future generation - when we, the women of the world, reflect on the true meaning of this subject that was chosen and to the measure that its full meaning penetrate deeply each time in the conscience of each woman, we should understand how loving, what a supreme privilege is ours and inescapable duty we have, and than we should rise like never before, to fulfill our first obligation. The women know that they are the first educators of the humanity… "
, in the city of Juiz de Fora
, she died on October 17, 1980 with 85 years of age, in the city of Salvador. In that same day, hundreds of Bahá'ís from several communities of Latin America were gathered in Brasília
, participating of I Women's Latin-American Bahá'í Conference. The climax of this meeting for promotion of the condition of the woman was the moment where a writing with her words of greeting to the participants of the event echoed for the audience at the ample Center of Conventions.
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
to live in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and she is regarded as a 'Spiritual Mother of the Bahá'ís of Latin America'. She went as a pioneer
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 Brazil in 1921 when she was only 25 years old and due to her efforts and services for the Bahá'í Faith in Brazil
Bahá'í Faith in Brazil
The Bahá'í Faith in Brazil started in 1919 with Bahá'ís first visiting the country that year, and the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly in Brazil was established in 1928. There followed a period of growth with the arrival of coordinated pioneers from the United States finding national Brazilian...
, she was appointed Councillor in 1973 by 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...
, the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith.
Early life
Leonora Holsapple Armstrong was born on June 23, 1895 in the little town of HudsonHudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Her father was Samuel Norris Holsapple and her mother was Grace Stirling, who served actively in civic work and had taught school. However, Grace had great problems of health and died soon after Leonora turned five years old, which caused a profound effect on Leonora and her younger sister Alethe during their childhood and adolescence.
Academic Life
Despite her suffering Leonora was a gifted student during all her childhood. In her high school graduating class she received the highest honors and was made valedictorian. She was able to enter Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
from Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
on a scholarship and was elected Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year. Leonora graduated from an English course in the Cornell University, she also obtained specialty in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and completed studies of other languages such as German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
. She also graduated on subjects such as Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, Botanic
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. After graduation from college she taught Latin in high schools and was active in social work as her mother and grandmother had been before her.
Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith
When she was thirteen years old, her maternal grandmother who spent long years after spiritual searching found the Bahá'í Faith and declared herself a Bahá'í. She began to teach her granddaughters about the Bahá'í Faith and due to her example of devotion and efforts to spread the Bahá'í teachingsBahá'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...
, that impressed Leonora highly enough that she started to search about the Bahá'í Faith and also began to memorize passages and prayers from the Bahá'í Writings. Later she made her own efforts to share the Bahá'í teachings with her classmates and friends.
Interest in Pioneering
The desire to pioneerPioneering (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"...
first came in Leonora's mind when `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...
's 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,...
were unveiled at the Bahá'í Convention held in New York in 1919. Spontaneously, and at once, she wrote to `Abdu'l-Bahá, offering herself in service and his reply to that was:
"Thou hadst expressed thy great wish to be of service to the Divine Threshold and to heal the infirm with the Divine Panacea--the infirm who is afflicted with passion and self. Spiritual malady is more severe than physical illness for it may be that the latter may be converted by the least remedy into health and vigor, while the former will not be cured by a thousand well-known remedies . . . My hope is that thou mayest become a spiritual physician."
Leonora was very touched by the message from `Abdu'l-Bahá and also 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...
, a well-known Bahá'í reported who traveled widely, served as a great influence for her on choosing South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
as her destination. In her own words Leonora said:
"This hope of the Master's became my highest aspiration and when, early in 1920, I read His Tablet to Martha Root, commending her teaching work in South America and stressing the importance of its being followed up by others, it at once seemed to me that here there might be a definite task for me. A letter to Martha brought an immediate reply, with all encouragement."
Martha Root had made a historical visit to South America in 1919 and encouraged Leonora by sharing her experiences and sending a copy of her own diary notes from that period. This led Leonora to consider pioneering in the South America and she chose Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as the destination.
Arrival in Brazil
Many of Leonora's family members and friends expressed great concerns in relation to her decision of pioneering to Brazil. Many of them believed that she was taking a very dangerous risk, by traveling alone without knowing anyone in Brazil or even knowing the country's language. However, her desire to teach the Bahá'í Faith was so great, that on February 1, 1921 she arrived in the port of Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. At that time she was only 25 years old and she did not know anyone in that country. The fact that she was a woman and single, in a time that womans had less rights and freedom, made her situation a lot more complicated but she still managed to stay in Brazil. Leonora got her first job in a very simple office through a young theosophist in the city of Santos, São Paulo
São Paulo (state)
São Paulo is a state in Brazil. It is the major industrial and economic powerhouse of the Brazilian economy. Named after Saint Paul, São Paulo has the largest population, industrial complex, and economic production in the country. It is the richest state in Brazil...
. Afterwards she started to give private English classes, which made her able to make contacts to teach the Bahá'í Faith. Sometimes when she could, Leonora would participate as a speaker in the national conferences - her first year in Rio de Janeiro, she participated in the National Congress of Esperanto which extended to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and Santos and later to many other capitals of Brazil.
Services for the Bahá'í Faith
In 1925 in the city of BelémBelém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
, Pará
Pará
Pará is a state in the north of Brazil. It borders the Brazilian states of Amapá, Maranhão, Tocantins, Mato Grosso, Amazonas and Roraima. To the northwest it also borders Guyana and Suriname, and to the northeast it borders the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Belém.Pará is the most populous state...
she published her first translation (English to Portuguese) of the book Paris Talks
Paris Talks
Paris Talks is a book transcribed from talks given by `Abdu'l-Bahá while in Paris. It was originally published as Talks by `Abdu'l-Bahá Given in Paris in 1912. `Abdu'l-Bahá did not read and authenticate the transcripts of his talks in Paris, and thus the authenticity of the talks is not known...
written by `Abdu'l-Bahá. Leonora beyond being a lecturer, educator and translator was also a social assistant, having also kept an orphanage, in Salvador, Bahia
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
, in the period of 1928-1930, for abandoned and needy children. In her first years in Brazil, she chose to establish herself in Salvador, Bahia and travel several of times to Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
and Manaus
Manaus
Manaus is a city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas. It is situated at the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. It is the most populous city of Amazonas, according to the statistics of Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and is a popular ecotourist destination....
. She always had a lot of support from many theosophists and esperantists in her services. In 1927 she published many articles and folders about the Bahá'í Faith in Belém. In 1927 she was the first Bahá'í to visit and give lectures about the Bahá'í Faith in Colombia, Venezuela, Coracion, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Guyana and Suriname as part of her plan to compliment and complete 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...
's unfulfilled intention of visiting all the Latin American countries for the purpose of presenting the religion to an audience.
Leonora was living in Brazil when she saw to a translation into Spanish. She decided to go to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain to study Spanish because Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi 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...
, then head of the religion, wanted Spanish literature and she wanted to become proficient in the language. In July 1930 she boarded a French ship which first took her to several ports of call in West Africa and then to Barcelona. From Barcelona she proceeded to Madrid where she intended to take university courses. However she soon fell seriously ill for a time and was unable to enter the course at the University of Madrid. Shortly thereafter she went on Bahá'í pilgrimage
Bahá'í pilgrimage
A Bahá'í pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Akká, and Bahjí at the Bahá'í World Centre in Northwest Israel. Bahá'ís do not have access to other places designated as sites for pilgrimage....
and afterwards focused her efforts in Latin and South America.
Formation of the Bahá'í Institution in Brazil
In 1940 at Salvador - after 19 years of her dedicated work of education, translations and social services - Leonora was thrilled to see the formation of the first official Bahá'í Institution in Brazil: the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Salvador, composed by nine members, annually elected by the Bahá'í community in each locality. She was one of the members of this Assembly together with the first ones to accept and declare themselves bahá'ís in that city. After that, a second Local Spiritual AssemblySpiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community...
was formed in Rio de Janeiro and in 1946 a third one was formed in the city of São Paulo. In 1961 she saw the establishment of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Brazil. In 1973, due to her services dedicated for the Bahá'í Faith in Brazil, Leonora was appointed Counciler by 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...
, the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. The Councilers are those who act in the continental levels and dedicate the time for the education and the protection of the Bahá'í Cause.
Marriage
In 1941, Leonora married an English called Harold Armstrong who she had known for many years. He was a great support on helping Leonora to accomplish many of the services that she dedicated during her life to the Bahá'í Cause. Leonora and her husband lived around many places in Brazil and by not having children, they had adopted and they raised some children providing them basic needs and education.Defender of Women's Rights
Leonora was also a notable defender of the women's rights - emphasizing the role of educadors and servants for the cause of world peace. Her message, recorded in a tape in Salvador, Bahia days before her death, in October 1980, was addressed to hundreds of women gathered in the Centre of Conventions of Brasília, participants of the first Women's Latin-American Bahá'í Conference. Here were some excerpts from her message:"Woman, light of the future generation - when we, the women of the world, reflect on the true meaning of this subject that was chosen and to the measure that its full meaning penetrate deeply each time in the conscience of each woman, we should understand how loving, what a supreme privilege is ours and inescapable duty we have, and than we should rise like never before, to fulfill our first obligation. The women know that they are the first educators of the humanity… "
Last Years
After living in Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and having passed most of her last years in Minas GeraisMinas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
, in the city of Juiz de Fora
Juiz de Fora
-Industry, Trade, and Culture:Juiz de Fora is the second most important industrial center in the state of Minas Gerais, despite being the fourth largest in terms of population. It was once the state's largest city, position which was held up until the beginning of the 20th century...
, she died on October 17, 1980 with 85 years of age, in the city of Salvador. In that same day, hundreds of Bahá'ís from several communities of Latin America were gathered in Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, participating of I Women's Latin-American Bahá'í Conference. The climax of this meeting for promotion of the condition of the woman was the moment where a writing with her words of greeting to the participants of the event echoed for the audience at the ample Center of Conventions.