Virginia Orbison
Virginia Orbison | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 16, 1902 Overbrook, Philadelphia, USA |
| Died | November 20, 1985 Spain |
| NSA member | Iberian Peninsula 1957 - 1959 Luxembourg 1963 - ???? |
Virginia Orbison (February 16, 1902 - November 20, 1985) was an American Bahá’í notable for pioneering to South America and then Europe where she helped establish and develop Bahá’í communities. She was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for pioneering to the Balearic Islands.
Biography[edit]
Orbison's parents were Dr. Thomas J. Orbison and Virginia Gile who were both trained medical doctors. She was born in Overbrook, Philadelphia, but the family moved to Pasadena, California, in 1907 where Claudia Stuart Coles, a patient of Thomas, introduced them to the Bahá’í Faith. They did not investigate further although Orbison always remembered Coles and the name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In 1912 Orbison began studying at a girls school in Paris, where she learnt French, but she returned to the United States at the outbreak of the First World War and completed her education at a Roman Catholic convent in Alhambra where she learnt Latin.[1]
In 1932 Orbison was reintroduced to the Faith and she declared in 1933. She lived in Hollywood in the 1930's and worked as a research librarian for Paramount Studios from 1933 to 1942.[1] She was also active in the Faith serving on an Assembly and committees and in the early 1940's she was inspired to pioneer to South America and left the United States for Chile in August 1942 visiting Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, and Peru on her journey. From 1942 to 1946 she lived in several pioneer posts across South America and helped establish several Local Spiritual Assemblies.[2]
In July 1946 Shoghi Effendi advised Orbison he would like her to help establish the Faith in Spain and she departed South America (Rio de Janeiro) in December to pioneer to Spain settling in Madrid where by 1947 seven people had declared and in 1948 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Madrid was formed.[3] In July 1953 she attended the Stockholm International Teaching Conference and she volunteered to open the Balearic Islands to the Faith. In August she arrived on Palma de Mallorca and was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh however she had to depart her post in 1954 after she was arrested at a Bahá’í Teaching Conference in Barcelona as the police were not familiar with the Faith. After her release Shoghi Effendi advised her to move to Madrid where she helped work towards legal recognition of the Faith in Spain.[4]
In February 1956 Orbison went on Pilgrimage where she met Shoghi Effendi. After her pilgrimage she left Spain and pioneered to Lisbon, Portugal.[4] In 1957 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Iberian Peninsula was formed with Orbison being elected an inaugural member and in October 1957 the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds for the body was purchased in her name. In May 1959 the police ordered her to be expelled from the country due to her Bahá’í activities and in June she left the country and pioneered to Luxembourg at the suggestion of the European Teaching Committee and she lived in Dudelange. In 1963 she was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Luxembourg and she attended the First International Convention in Haifa as a member and she also went to the Bahá’í World Congress in London that year.[5]
In January 1968 Orbison pioneered back to Spain, settling in Malaga, on medical advice that she should live in a more benign climate.[5] In 1972 the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain requested that she write a history of the religion in the country and she completed this in 1980. In 1979 she visited New York following a major heart attack for surgery and her health deteriorated in the early 1980s and in 1985 she moved into a clinic to receive medical care and she passed that year.[6]
The Universal House of Justice cabled the following after her passing:
EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY GRIEVOUS LOSS VIRGINIA ORBISON KNIGHT BAHAULLAH BALEARIC ISLANDS. RECALL WITH PRIDE ADMIRATION HER OUTSTANDING DEDICATED LIFE CAUSE GOD MORE THAN HALF CENTURY PIONEER TRAVELLING TEACHER LATIN AMERICA FIRST PIONEER IBERIAN PENINSULA SACRIFICIAL SERVICE LUXEMBOURG RETURN SPAIN BECOMING RECOGNIZED MOTHER SPANISH COMMUNITY. HER SINGLEMINDED DEVOTION OFFERS HEARTWARMING EXAMPLE CONFIRMING POWER BAHAULLAH TO ANY SOUL WHO ALONE UNAIDED ARISES SERVE HIM. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL SERVICES.[7]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 692. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 693. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 694. View as PDF.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 695. View as PDF.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 696. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 697. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 691. View as PDF.
