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Dramatic readings about the lives of Early Believers - Howard Colby Ives and his wife

Montreal, July 30, 2018 – There is a home in NDG area which is a haven of peace for anyone who knocks at its door! This beautiful location hosted a fascinating couple, Roger and Doris Rasmussen of Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute, Eloy, AZ. who travelled all the way to come and visit the Bahá’í Communities of East Coast of Canada! They brought with themselves a gift of sharing the stories of early believers of the United States and Canada through a dramatic reading.

The characters which we had the pleasure to withhold through the first part of the presentation were none other than an outstanding couple - Howard Colby Ives and his beloved wife, Mabel Rice-Wray Ives – who met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in America in 1912. They were both ardent and devoted teachers of the Faith until the last breath of their lives. Howard has recorded the experience of his encounter with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in his well-known book “Portals to Freedom” which is incidentally translated into several languages.

Mabel Ives was an accomplished teacher of the Faith for many years even after her husband passed away and she was bedridden for ten days before she too joined her remarkable spouse in 1943.

The roles were played by Roger and Doris Rasmussen who portrayed Howard and Mable splendidly! They had few cute little props of their own to emphasis the dramatic beauty of those outstanding lives which was well appreciated by some fifty members of audience.

In a cable addressed to the United States Community, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith Shoghi-Effendi, eulogizes Mable Ives as: “self-sacrificing, distinguished teacher of the Faith…outstanding, memorable and highly meritorious services…” she rendered to the Cause of God.

Howard was a Unitarian Minister and he met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for the first time in 1912 in New York. The Master saw him, singled him out of all the c

rowd, beckoned to him and Howard felt a breeze from a Divine morning had touched his brow! He devoted his life to teach the Faith until his passing to the World beyond in 1941, exactly two years before his wife Mable passed away.

The dramatic presentation then followed by questions and discussion about the early believers in Canada and the role they played in community building and expansion of the Faith.
Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute began in 1988 in Tucson with the four-day Desert Rose Bahá’í School initiated by Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and his wife, Marguerite, along with a core group of dedicated friends. When Mr. Sears passed away in 1992, Marguerite continued Desert Rose Bahá’í School and expand the four-day school into a permanent Institute. Land near Eloy, Arizona, was purchased in 1996. Desert Rose Bahá’í Institute, Inc. is a non-profit corporation created in 1997.

 

Howard Colby Ives (1867 - 1941)
Mabel Rice-Wray Ives (1878-1943)

 

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