Memorial Service to be held for the late Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani, International Dignatary of the Baha'i Faith, at the Bahai' National Centre, Cedar Avenue, Hamilton on Sunday, February 20, at 3 p.m.

The late Madame Ruhiyyih Rabbani, in her 90th year, an international dignitary of the Baha'i Faith, was buried January 23, in Haifa, Israel, in the garden facing the home where she lived since 1937. She died on January 19, after a long illness.

Over 1,100 people attended the funeral and participants came from near and far including members of the Universal House of Justice, nine International Counsellors, 24 Continental Counsellors, representatives of 76 National Spiritual Assemblies from as far away as Mongolia and Fiji, pilgrims, as well as members of the institutions and volunteers serving at the Baha'i World Centre.

Among them, too, were senior officials from the Canadian and United States embassies, representatives of the Israeli government, the mayors of `Akka and Haifa, and other prominent Israeli citizens.

The stately ceremony consisted of readings from the Baha'i sacred writings.

Madame Rabbani, nee Mary Sutherland Maxwell, was the only child of William Sutherland Maxwell, a premier architect of Montreal, Canada, and his wife May Bolles.

In 1937 she married the Guardian and world leader of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, who was the great-grandson of the founder of the faith, Baha'u'llah.

In 1951 Shoghi Effendi appointed her to the Baha'i International Council, a nine-member body that prepared the way for the election of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme institution of the Faith that was elected for the first time in 1963.

In 1952 she was elevated to the office of Hand of the Cause, the highest distinction held by individuals in the Baha'i Faith. She played a crucial role in effecting a successful transition in the leadership of the Faith from Shoghi Effendi (1921-1957) to the Universal House of Justice.

Madame Rabbani was intimately involved with the development of the Faith's World Centre and the global expansion of the community from about 40 countries to some 235 countries and territories. During the last 35 years of her life she travelled to 185 countries and dependent territories, promoting the integration of the world's several million Baha'is into a unified global community.

In the course of her travels, she was received by many heads of state and government and other prominent figures as diverse as Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafilli 11 of Western Somoa; President Houphouet-Boigny of Cote d'Ivoire; President Carlos Menem of Argentina, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India; Prime Minister Edward Seaga of Jamaica, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Javier Perez de Cuellar. In 1985 she presented the statement, "The Promise of World Peace,'' to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on behalf of the Universal House of Justice.

A person of prodigious interests and capabilities, Madame Rabbani was an author, poet, lecturer, and film producer, as well as an administrator and world traveller. Her several books include The Priceless Pearl, a full-length biography of Shoghi Effendi, and Prescription for Living, which deals with the application of spiritual principles to practical life.

Thousands of memorial gatherings are being held nationally, locally, and at all the Baha'i Houses of Worship throughout the world.

Bermuda's Baha'i Community has been particularly blessed by the late Madame Rabbani's many trips to these islands between 1972-1992.

Apart from her official visit in April 1981 on behalf of the Universal House of Justice for the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Bermuda, she also came on private visits to see her cousin Mrs. Mary Walker and family.

On many of these visits she made courtesy calls to local dignitaries, government officials, newspapers and also gave talks on many subjects at the Baha'i Centre and to various service organisations. Her most extensive visit was in the fall of 1976 when she was in Bermuda for over three months, during which time she undertook the interior decoration of the then newly acquired Baha'i Centre on Cedar Avenue and thus got to know the Baha'i Community very well.

A 20 minute video "Crossing Frontiers'' depicting aspects of her life as a world citizen, will be shown at the memorial service on Sunday.

For further information or enquiries, kindly contact the Baha'i National Office, 292-2723 or Mrs. Mary Walker, 236-5013. Members of the Public are welcome.