A special public service was held in the Baha’i House of Worship in Sydney at 7.30 pm on Saturday, 10 October 2009 in remembrance of victims of the recent natural disasters in Samoa, Tonga, Indonesia and other countries in our region.
The service included prayers, readings from the scripture of the Baha’i Faith and other world religions, and sacred music.
Among those attending were people who have family and friends in the countries that have suffered as a consequence of recent natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region.
A similar service was held at the Baha’i Centre of Learning in Brisbane at 7.30 pm on 9 October 2009.
Addressing those attending that service was Colin Myers, medical team leader for the Samoan emergency and director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. Dr Myers is a member of the Baha’i community of Moreton Bay, near Brisbane.
The national governing body of Baha’is in Australia, the National Spiritual Assembly, has expressed its condolences to those who have lost family members and friends and those who have lost their properties, homes and livelihoods in the recent disasters.
The National Spiritual Assembly is making a financial contribution to assist material relief in Samoa.
Samoa is home to one of only seven Baha’i Houses of Worship in the world.
The Baha’i Faith was introduced to Samoa by an Australian, Lilian Wyss-Alai, in 1954. The flourishing Baha’i community there celebrated its golden anniversary in 2004.