News Naw-Rúz & the Feast of Bahá بهاء (Splendour)
Naw-Rúz: The Naw-Rúz Feast should be held on March 21 before sunset and has nothing to do with the Nineteen Day Feast. The Nineteen Day Feast is administrative in function whereas the Naw-Rúz is our New Year, a Feast of hospitality and rejoicing. [Shoghi Effendi to a National Spiritual Assembly 5 July 1950] {Note: Naw-Rúz begins at sunset on March 20th and ends at sunset March 21st}
Naw-Rúz - Download the prayer for Naw-Rúz || Phoenix’s Naw-Rúz Celebration ~ March 20th, 7:30 p.m. at the Phoenix Center: Naw Rúz Invitation
Naw-Rúz programs: 1. Readings for Naw-Rúz 2. Naw-Rúz program 169 BE || Naw-Rúz presenation:Naw-Rúz 169 BE (PowerPoint), and Naw-Rúz 169 BE (pdf format)
The Feast Day starts at sunset on March 20th and ends at sunset on March 21st. (See Feast resources [suggested readings] below.) “As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world.” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 91
Message from the Universal House of Justice: UHJ 2 March 2013 Bahá’ís of Iran re~non-involvement in partisan politics (English); UHJ 2 March 2013 Bahá’ís of Iran re~non-involvement in partisan politics (Persian)
Messages from the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies
Feast letter from the National Spiritual Assembly: NSA Feast of Bahá 20 March 2013 (English); NSA Feast of Bahá 20 March 2013 (Persian); NSA Feast of Bahá 20 March 2013 (Spanish)
Other communiqué from the National Assembly: New website for the National Spiritual Assembly:
The National Spiritual Assembly is working on a new platform for U.S. Bahá’í web content and services. For now, it is being called american.bahai.us. As the system is currently in Beta, it will undergo significant changes over the next few months while pre-release development proceeds.
Through american.bahai.us, the goal is to develop a resource that empowers individuals as they serve the spiritual and social life of their communities. In the process, the new website will be introducing many new services and consolidating those provided by legacy web properties such as (soon to be retired).
So please note that the old USBNC website will no longer be in effect as of March 20, 2013!
We’re just getting started, and we’re delighted to share our work with you at this early stage. Visit and click on the new link for the new website: american.bahai.us, and bookmark as your new access to new, communications, contributions to the Fund, and all the many services offered by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Special offers from the Bahá’í Distribution Service: Bahá’í Holy Days
National Treasurer’s Letter: NSA Universal Participation 15 March 2013; Universal Participation Info March 2013 .And. National Treasurer’s Notes: Treasurer’s Notes Bahá-Spendor 21 March 2013 (English); Treasurer’s Notes Bahá-Spendor 21 March 2013 (Persian); Treasurer’s Notes Bahá-Spendor 21 March 2013 (Spanish)
The National Spiritual Assembly is pleased to invite all Arabic-speaking Bahá’ís in the United States to a conference designed for Arab and Arabic-speaking Bahá’ís and their friends, to be held over the weekend of April 12‒14. Click here to get more information on this Conference: 20130111 Arab Conference Invitation letter
International Bahá’í News Update: Persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran Update
Message from the Phoenix Treasurer: Assembly Treasurer Report Feast of Bahá 03-20-13
Report from the Phoenix Assembly: LSA Report for Feast of Bahá 2013
Sunnyslope Junior Youth group now has a website: .
Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute Youth & Jr. Youth Programs [March-October 2013]: 1. EngineeringAcademy-Desert Rose March 22-24 2013 2. Desert Rose Youth & Junior Youth Programs 2013
Important Calendar Events
For information on the 21st cycle of growth please contact Tom Viator, 480/220-0144, Email or Myriam Nachti, 602/576-1717, .
Update on the 21st cycle of growth: AZ13 21st IPG – Newsflash #1
Other cluster contacts should you require more information or assistance:
* Marilyn Sanchez (Creighton/Spanish):
* Dorna Sepehri (Farsi):
* Lindsay Hand (Sunnyslope):
* Tom Viator (Phoenix Cluster ATC Secretary):
The Phoenix Bahá’í Center is located at 944 E Mountain View Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85020-2123
Devotional Gatherings - an opportunity to invite friends, family & seekers in prayers and fellowship. It is the perfect place for them to learn about the Faith and meet some Baha’is. These are held every month; some are listed below.
Paricher‘s devotion, call 602/482-2996 for more info – 2nd and 4th Tuesday evening
1st Friday in the evening contact the Hockley’s, 623/251-5390
Nineteen Day Bahá’í Fast ~ sunset March 1st to sunset March 20th: Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting – BWC; Bahá’í Fast Sunrise & Sunset for Phoenix, Arizona ||| Two unapproved compilations on the Bahá’í Fast by Roberto Ferguson: 1. Bahá’í Writings & Teachings on the Bahá’í Fast-unapproved compilation (NOTE: Sunrise & Sunset times are not current/accurate ~ refer to the schedule link above for Phoenix) 2. The Bahá’í Fast-unapproved compilation
Prayer Hike - Put on your walking shoes and bring your prayer books to Shaw Buttes Sundays at 7 a.m. We meet in the parking lot, go for a 20 minute hike, re- cite prayers, then go for breakfast or coffee. For any questions, contact Eida Navidi, 602/332-3805.
Race Unity for a Better Community - Please join us, bring a friend, share your prayers and thoughts about Race Unity. 4th Sunday of each month at the Glendale Library, 2 PM – 4 PM, 5959 W. Brown, Glendale, AZ 85302. These gatherings feature a variety of activities discussions and fellowship. Presented by the Race Unity Devotions and Dialogue Group, sponsored by the Glendale Bahá’í Community. For more info, call 623/877-1997.
For information about activities in Peoria contact Donna at or 623/313-3156.
Feast Resources: Possible Readings for the Feast of Bahá ~ 1. Feast of Bahá’-Splendour for Phoenix; 2. Feast of Bahá’-Splendour ~ Hope
Prayer for Feast
You must continue to keep the Nineteen Day Feast. It is very important; it is very good. But when you present yourselves in the meetings, before entering them, free yourselves from all that you have in your heart, free your thoughts and your minds from all else save God, and speak to your heart. That all may make this a gathering of love, make it the cause of illumination, make it a gathering of attraction of the hearts, surround this gathering with the Lights of the Supreme Concourse, so that you may be gathered together with the utmost love.
O God! Dispel all those elements which are the cause of discord, and prepare for us all those things which are the cause of unity and accord! O God! Descend upon us Heavenly Fragrance and change this gathering into a gathering of Heaven! Grant to us every benefit and every food. Prepare for us the Food of Love! Give to us the Food of Knowledge! Bestow upon us the Food of Heavenly Illumination!
In your hearts remember these things, and then enter the Unity Feast.
Each one of you must think how to make happy and pleased the other members of your Assembly, and each one must consider all those who are present as better and greater than himself, and each one must consider himself less than the rest. Know their station as high, and think of your own station as low. Should you act and live according to these behests, know verily, of a certainty, that that Feast is the Heavenly Food. That Supper is the “Lord’s Supper”! I am the Servant of that gathering. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in “Star of the West”, vol. IV, no. 7 (13 July 1913), p. 120)