Bahá’í Faith goes back to school in Newbury

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Children at St Gabriel’s Independent Day School for Girls, Newbury, have been learning about the Bahá’í Faith in a lesson given to coincide with Naw-Ruz, the Faith’s New Year’s Day.

Myra Erbenova explains the Bahá'í Faith to children at St Gabriel’s Independent School for Girls.

Myra Erbenova, a member of the Bahá’í Faith in West Berkshire, said: “The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions and although it was founded in 1844 and there are five million followers in 189 countries and 46 territories, there are still large numbers of people who know nothing about the Faith.

“Education is an important aspect of life within the Bahá’í Community and so I was pleased to be invited to St Gabriel’s School to talk about what it means to be a Bahá’í.

“St Gabriel’s Independent Day School for Girls is a forward-thinking school with traditional values. It provides strong pastoral care with a progressive, ‘real world’ attitude. For pre-prep pupils, the children are supported in developing the knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world.

“For juniors, the content of Religious Education lessons is based on the Berkshire RE Syllabus that aims to give children an understanding of Christianity and world religions. For seniors, Religious Studies attempts to answer some of life’s big questions.”

For more details about the Bahá’í Faith, please call the West Berkshire’s Bahá’í Community on 07964 676461 and leave a message.

Bahá’í Community reaches out on Naw-Ruz

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Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Bahá'ís reside around the world. Reprinted with permission of the Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Bahá'ís reside around the world. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá'í International Community.

West Berkshire’s Bahá’í Community is reaching out to the wider community as it plans its celebrations for Naw-Ruz, the Bahá’í New Year’s Day. The festival is held on the spring equinox (March 21) and it marks the end of the Bahá’í Faith’s annual 19-day fast for adults.

Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Bahá’ís reside around the world. Reprinted with permission of the Bahá’í International Community.

The celebrations – to be held in Coley, Reading from 3pm on Sunday March 21 – will include readings of prayers from the Bahá’í scriptures, as well as music, dance and an afternoon of great food.

Bahá’í follower Shawn Khorassani said: “The fast – between sunrise and sunset – is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation.

“We are opening our celebration of Naw-Ruz in Reading, Berkshire to people who want to learn more about the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’í community constantly works to break down barriers that separate people and strive for better inter-faith relations.”

The Naw-Ruz is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

For more details about the Naw-Ruz celebration in Reading, please call the West Berkshire’s Bahá’í Community on 07964 676461 and leave a message.