'Abdu'l-Bahá's travels

New York City

Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in New York City on the S.S. Cedric on April 11, 1912.

Welcome! Welcome! I am Very Happy to Meet You All here Today

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11 April 1912
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney
780 West End Avenue, New York
Notes by Hooper Harris
A crowd of people waited on the docks for Him for hours, and He arranged to meet them at the home of Edward Kinney later in the day. The tugboat that met the Cedric carried a number of reporters who spoke with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the deck of that ship. Among them was Wendell Philips Dodge, who recorded these impressions:

His face was light itself… He is a man of medium height, though at first sight he seemed to be taller… As he paced the deck, talking to reporters, he appeared alert and active in every movement, his head thrown back and splendidly poised upon his broad shoulders most of the time… When the ship was abreast the Statue of Liberty, standing erect and facing it, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá held his arms wide apart in salutation and said, ‘There is the New World’s symbol of liberty and freedom. After being forty years a prisoner, I can tell you freedom is not a matter of place. It is a condition… When one is released from the prison of self, that is indeed a release.’

Abdul Baha talks to Kate Carew of Things Spiritual and Mundane

New York, NY

Oriental Who Would Break Down Sectarian Lines and Unite Mankind Under a Single Simple Religious Creed Finds in the Power of the Spirit an Answer to All Worldly Problems.

Leader of the Bahá’ítes, Who Has Been Called the “Breeze of God,” Reveals to Interviewer a Day’s Processes in His Quiet Campaign for the Advancement of His Spiritual Philosophy.

What do you expect? What you don’t expect!

‘Abdu’l-Bahá would spend more time in New York City than any other single location during His sojourn in America, a total of 85 days, between trips to other localities across the nation. Many memorable and significant events, both public and private, took place in New York, including among them: an address at the Church of the Ascension, His first public address in America; a meeting with the poor at

Blessed are the Poor. The Poor are Nearer the Threshold of God

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19 April 1912
Talk at Bowery Mission
227 Bowery, New York
From Stenographic Notes
the Bowery Mission; appearances at the Lake Mohonk Peace Conference; a nationally publicized interview with Kate Carew; the taking of audio and video recordings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; several encounters with influential and well-known personalities of the day; and numerous varied meetings of personal significance to a wide range of people.

Abdu’l-Bahá departed from New York City for the last time on December 5, 1912 on the S.S. Celtic, sailing once more for Europe and finally Palestine, after many tearful farewells with followers and admirers over the last weeks and days.

Read more about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s time in New York, including a virtual tour and maps and directions to places visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

New York City, Church of the Ascension

Church of the Ascension
Fifth Avenue at Tenth Street
New York City, NY

The Bahá’ís of New York City commemorated the centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the Church of the Ascension on April 14, 2012.

View the program at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXgYHh_SJk