| Siegfried Schopflocher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 26, 1877 Germany |
| Died | July 27, 1953 Montreal, Canada |
| NSA member | United States 1924 - 1925 U.S. & Canada 1925 - 1927 1929 - 1935 1938 - 1944 Canada 1948 - 1953 |
| Title(s) | Hand of the Cause Americas 1952 - 1953 |
Siegfried Schopflocher (September 26, 1877 - July 27, 1953) was a German-Canadian Bahá’í who was appointed as a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi on February 29, 1952.
Biography[edit]
Schopflocher was born in Germany in 1877 into an Orthodox Jewish family however after graduating from school he became an agnostic. He moved to Canada for his business career as an adult where he discovered the Bahá’í Faith and joined the religion and he went on pilgrimage for the first time in 1922. He helped develop and expand the Green Acre summer school by securing and donating land to the Green Acre property shortly after becoming a Bahá’í and he later helped develop the Geyserville summer school and was also central to efforts to complete the construction of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.[1]
In 1924 Schopflocher was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and in 1925 he was elected to the body again when it was reconstituted as the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada. He served on the body intermittently up until 1944. He made several international trips in relation to his business during this period which allowed him to undertake several international tasks for Shoghi Effendi to assist the Faith.[1]
In 1946 he was appointed to the first Canadian Teaching Committee,[2] and in 1948 an independent National Spiritual Assembly for Canada was established which he was elected to and Shoghi Effendi instructed him to assist the Assembly in securing a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds for Canada.[1]
In 1952 Shoghi Effendi appointed Schopflocher a Hand of the Cause of God. In January 1953 he went on pilgrimage, in April he attended the Canadian National Convention, and in May he attended the Intercontinental Teaching Conference for the Americas held in Chicago to launch the Ten Year Crusade.[1] After the Conference he toured western Canada. He intended to attend the Intercontinental Conference in New Delhi, India, in October however he became ill in July and passed away after only a few days.[3]
Shoghi Effendi sent the following cable after his passing:
"Profoundly grieved (at) passing (of) dearly loved, outstandingly staunch Hand (of) Cause Fred Schopflocher. (His) numerous, magnificent services extending over thirty years (in) administrative (and) teaching spheres (for) United States, Canada, Institutions Bahá’í World Center greatly enriched annals (of) Formative Age (of) Faith. Abundant reward assured Abhá Kingdom. Advising American National Assembly hold befitting memorial gathering (at) Temple he generously helped raise. Advise hold memorial gathering (at) Maxwell home (to) commemorate his eminent part (in) rise (of) Administrative Order (of) Faith (in) Canada. Urge ensure burial (in) close neighborhood (of) resting place (of) distinguished Hand (of) Cause Sutherland Maxwell."[4]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 12 (1950-1954), Pg(s) 665. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 192, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 12 (1950-1954), Pg(s) 666. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 12 (1950-1954), Pg(s) 664. View as PDF.
