Rudolfo Duna
Rudolfo Duna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 13, 1913 Lourenco Marques, Mozambique |
| Died | 1986 |
| NSA member | South & West Africa 1960 - 1964 |
| ABM | Africa 1963 - 1986 |
Rudolfo Duna (July 13, 1913 - 1986) was a Mozambican Bahá’í who served as a National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board member, assisted in establishing the Bahá’í Faith in Angola, and translated Bahá’í material into Shironga.
Biography[edit]
Duna was born in Lourenco Marques, Mozambique, in 1913 into a Christian family who were members of the Swiss Mission Church and he was an active member of the Church and trained to become an evangelist. In his professional career he became a plumber.[1] Duna was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith when his wife's uncle, Festus Chembeni, introduced him to pioneers John and Charlotte de Pinto in 1955 and declared becoming the third Mozambican Bahá’í and his wife, Anjelica, declared around the same time. He was elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Lourenco Marques shortly after declaring.[2]
A few days after the Local Assembly of Lourenco Marques was formed the de Pinto's were deported from the country and Duna was arrested with his Bahá’í literature being confiscated. He was released after a week but advised to recant his Faith but he declined to do so. Around this time Shoghi Effendi issued a request for Bahá’ís to pioneer to Angola and Duna, his wife Anjelica, and his young daughter Dora relocated to Luanda where they were able to establish a Local Spiritual Assembly in 1956.[2]
The arrival of some pioneers from Portugal in Angola allowed the Duna's to return to Mozambique in 1957 and they moved back to Lourenco Marques where the Assembly had been disbanded. They made efforts to reinvigorate the community but found it difficult due to oppression from the authorities.[2] In 1960 Duna was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa,[3] and he served up to at least 1963 when he attended the First International Convention in the Holy Land casting a vote in the inaugural election of the Universal House of Justice.[1] He also attended the First Bahá’í World Congress at Royal Albert Hall in London, England, later in 1963.[2]
After arriving back in Africa in 1963 Duna and his wife made a travel teaching trip to Zambia,[4] and he was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Propagation serving in the post for the rest of his life. Due to political unrest which broke out in the 1970's prominent Mozambicans were arrested and Duna was imprisoned for three and a half years, spending two in solitary confinement, and he was tortured during his time in prison. Due to his good conduct he was eventually permitted to take up some crafts, leave the prison to work as a plumber, and he was able to teach the Faith to his fellow inmates.[1]
After being released from prison Duna was able to resume encouraging the Bahá’í community of Mozambique and in 1976 he made a teaching trip to Angola with his wife and visited Portugal. In 1985 he attended the first National Convention of Mozambique at which the National Spiritual Assembly of the country was established with his daughter being elected to the body and he remarked that it was the happiest moment of his life.[1]
Duna passed in late 1986 and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DEVOTED PROMOTER FAITH RUDOLFO DUNA. HIS LONG RECORD DEDICATED LABOURS IN BOTH TEACHING AND ADMINISTATIVE FIELDS SERVICE UNFORGETTABLE. ASSURE RELATIVES LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL. ADVISE ALL LOCAL ASSEMBLIES MOZAMBIQUE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN HIS NAME[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 847. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 846. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1960). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 353, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa (2003) , compiled by Edith Johnson and Lowell Johnson, p 125
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 848. View as PDF.
