ANGELINE GIACHERY
?-1980
Angeline Giachery, whose pure and angelic spirit returned to God on 23 April 1980, was
born in Sweden towards the end of the nineteenth century. The solemn beauty of her
native land, bejewelled by thousands of rivers and lakes, and dotted with serenely tranquil
and majestic forests, impressed itself upon her gentle spirit and found reflection in her
stainless character. Highly sensitive to the divine intelligence and exquisite harmony that
rule the universe, she found perfection in all created things. The inner happiness which
suffused her being was crowned by her peerless love for the Creator. Her childhood and
adolescence were richly blessed and congenial. As a small child she studied music passionately
and became an accomplished violinist. She was educated in Sweden and England and was
a diligent student who took delight in her studies. She enjoyed the rational sciences particularly
mathematics-liberal arts, literature and the poetry of both countries. Travels
in Europe and abroad completed her education and widened her perspective, preparing her to
make what she would later recognize as the supreme choice of her life. In the early 1920s
she was introduced to the Revelation of Baha'u'llah while visiting friends in Boston,
U.S.A. Her conversion was immediate, sincere and total: she dedicated the rest of her life to
ardent service to the Cause of God and to bringing happiness to her fellow man. A short
time later I met Angeline in the home of mutual friends ; she was gentle, gracious,
cultured, elegant and happy. In her presence one seemed to sense the fragrance of the pines
and firs of the Viirmland forest, the most romantic and beautiful region of Sweden.
We met frequently and a mutual affection developed.
On 24 February 1926 we were married in New York City . Now a considerable part of her
time was spent in the company of early believers, many of whom had been in the presence
of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Her heart was filled with joy and wonder. She gathered accurate notes and
treasured the early translations of Sacred Writings that loving friends gave her. Her
knowledge of the Teachings became greater day by day. She attended meetings, lectures
and classes .and formed deep and lasting friendships with her fellow Baha'is. The early
writings of the Guardian which were then becoming available enkindled her with new
hope and inspiration. Her home was opened to seekers, firesides were maintained, and her
melodious eloquence conquered many hearts.
Increasingly immersing herself in the writings of Shoghi Effendi she preoccupied herself
with the questions: How to serve the Cause more fully? How to multiply my efforts? She
arranged music recitals to attract outstanding and influential people and her efforts were
most successful. Trips in America and Europe gave her the opportunity to spread the teachings-
seeds which were never lost-but as time went on the desire to pioneer in Europe
or in Latin America was uppermost in her mind. At the end of World War II she was
able to leave for Rome, a city she had visited in her youth; she rejoiced at the thought of
being closer to the Holy Land and to the Guardian whom she greatly revered and
honoured with all her heart. Reaching Naples on 20 February 1947 she was distressed by the
misery and destruction which were to be seen everywhere, and b¥ the spectacle of countless
cold and hungry children. After a twelve-hour journey on an ancient and overcrowded bus
she reached the Eternal City. A cabled message from the Guardian-SUPPLICATING ABUNDANT
BLESSINGS NOBLE MISSION-brought great cheer.
Despite the difficulties life in war-torn Italy presented Angeline was able to establish
herself, and by the end of March the first Italian believer was enrolled in Genoa. A
cable from the Guardian arrived on the thirty first expressing HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS
and urging ALL OTHER PIONEERS EMULATE NOBLE EXAMPLE . It was signed, LOVING APPRECIATION,
SHOGHI. The events of the years and months that followed were recorded by Angeline
in her diaries in which she poured out her supplications to God for greater assistance,
her humble gratitude for His bounties and her happiness. She looked up old friends;
volunteered her services to an association that provided assistance to orphans and displaced
persons; made contact with cultural groups, literary figures, art circles, embassies and the
Dante Alighieri Society-always winning, with her gracious manner, new friends and interest
in the Cause.
By Ridvan 1947, the anniversary of the foundation of Rome, electric lights came back
in the streets; by Ridvan 1948 the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Rome was elected.
Shoghi Effendi was overjoyed. He requested a photograph of the Local Spiritual Assembly,
had it framed and personally placed it at the head of his bed in the room he often occupied
when staying overnight in the Mansion of Bahji.
The need for Baha'i literature became evident. Angeline happily initiated a new
activity, producing an introductory pamphlet in Italian which was sent to prominent citizens
and to four hundred public libraries. This was followed by a new edition of Dr. Esslemont's
Baha'u'llah and the New Era, a special copy of which, bound in tooled green leather, was
sent to the Guardian, who placed this, too, in his room at Bahji. Until 1964 when she
returned to America, she served as chairman of the Italian Publishing Committee, a field
which gave scope to her artistic and administrative skills. Under her direction and guidance
many of the major Writings of the Faith were translated into Italian and published in attractive
editions .
As the Faith became known throughout the entire Italian peninsula the Baha'i community
grew and new centres were established on the mainland and the offshore islands. Angeline
became increasingly involved with travelling, teaching and encouraging the friends. Following
the appointment· by the Guardian of the Hands of the Cause of God, and the creation
of the Auxiliary Boards, she was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for the propagation of the
Faith in Europe, serving in that capacity from Ridvan 1954 until her return to America in
1964. Her arena of service included not only Italy but Corsica, Malta, Rhodes, Greece ,
Monaco and Switzerland. The great tests of that period, including the passing of the
beloved Guardian, challenged her capacity as she moved from one community to another,
exhorting the friends to unity and faithfulness to the Covenant. Her tact, the immaculacy of
her mind , and her strong awareness of divine assistance enabled her to maintain the integrity
of the administrative order and inspire greater efforts among the believers, resulting
in a considerable increase in their numbers.
Her assistance at the Italian end of the magnificent enterprise of securing materials
for the construction of the superstructure of the Shrine of the Bab is inestimable, calling as
it did for infinite patience , time and attention to detail, and extending from 1948 to the end
of 1957.
Early in 1964 she began the painful task of detaching herself from the many friends she
had made in Italy over the course of seventeen years; it was agonizing to leave all those she
had guided into the Faith and with whom she had worked to build up sixteen Local Spiritual
Assemblies. Upon settling in La Jolla, California, intensive teaching activities were undertaken,
including several firesides a week and travels that took her through Arizona, Oregon,
Washington and as far north as the Yukon Territory of Canada where, north of Whitehorse,
a large cabin capable of holding forty students at a Baha'i school bears her name.
Crossing to Alaska she captivated the affection of the Indians; here the elders of a
venerable clan, during a jubilant official ceremony, invested her with the title Princess of
Tlingit Eagle Tribe-their escutcheon represents a flying eagle. She formulated at this time
a plan to unite in the Faith all the people of the Arctic territories, from Finland to Alaska. At
the Intercontinental Conference in Helsinki in 1976 the plan again received some consideration.
After the conference she travelled to the Arctic region of Finland and on her
return journey met with a serious accident which started her physical decline. Undaunted,
however, she travelled to Sweden and to the Arctic region of Norway, and the following
year returned to the Arctic regions of Finland and Sweden.
When she had taken her leave from the beloved Guardian on 23 December 1954 he had
said that she would return to the Holy Land after the Archives building was completed but
that in the meantime he wished her to travel and see the friends. Angeline promised herself
that from then on she would wholly dedicate herself to travelling and teaching. In
the years that followed she visited countless centres on five continents participating in
every type of activity that circumstances demanded of her from simple fireside talks to
the presentation of the book The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah to Pope Pius XII, to His
Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II and to Umberto II of Italy.
She grew frail in the last months of her life and sorrowed that she could no longer travel.
Her end came suddenly, but until the very last moment the name of God was on her beautiful,
smiling lips. Her mortal remains are now gathered in a befitting sepulchre in Cap d' Ail
Cemetery, near Monaco, facing the blue Mediterranean Sea she was so fond of. May
present and future generations keep alive the memory of this true lover of God, and
maidservant of Baha'u'llah.
Her inconsolable UGO