Welcome to the blog for the Baha'i Community of Kitchener! If you're interested in learning about the Baha'i Faith, start by visiting bahai.org, the official website of the Baha'i Faith where you'll find sacred writings, history and so much more. To get involved with local activities, please write to bahaikitchener AT gmail.com

Saturday 19 October 2019

The Gate - Public Screening


The Kitchener Baha'i community would like to invite the community to a free of charge public screening of the film "The Gate: The Dawn of the Baha'i Faith", with an open discussion to follow.

The showing will be held at Mill Courtland Community Center, Sunday October 20th, 2019 at 6:00 PM. 

Wednesday 2 October 2019

Contemplation and Prayer

STILL RUNNING! Contemplation and Prayer: an informal weekly devotional gathering at the home of Dharlene and Sheldon Valeda, 65 Hohner Ave., downtown Kitchener. 

Every Saturday morning at 11:00 AM, we begin by saying a few prayers together, sometimes dedicated to a particular individual or theme. We then look carefully together at one pre-selected prayer, and contemplate it deeply.

"... a universal place  of worship open to all the inhabitants of a locality irrespective of their religious affiliation, background, ethnicity, or gender and a haven for the deepest contemplation on spiritual reality and foundational questions of life..." Universal House of Justice, Dec.18, 2014

Tuesday 16 July 2019

Reflection Gathering


The Reflection Gathering is Friday Aug 16th from 7-10 PM at the Mill Courtland Community Centre. Potluck refreshments. This centre is transit accessible and has ample parking. Thanks to the Kitchener LSA for providing this venue.

At the Reflection Gathering we will begin with potluck refreshments followed by devotions and study of guidance from our institutions. We will also share our learnings on devotionals, children’s and junior youth spiritual education and empowerment and how the institute process supports us in building vibrant communities across our cluster.

The Reflection Gathering is also a space where we can make advances in our plans to teach our friends, kin, neighbours, colleagues during this special period of potency leading to the bicentenary of the Birth of the Bab this October.

Our beloved NSA has reminded us of the “intensity, discipline and concentrated, creative effort of the friends during the period surrounding the bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh… All that was learned at that time is now ready to be channeled into your efforts to nurture every seed you have planted and plant new ones, as the community advances towards the celebrations for the Twin Holy Birthdays this year. We pray that your conversations as friends, families, fellow-gardeners, at this Feast and beyond, will draw out this experience and reinforce your efforts. To this end, we hope that the friends consulting at this Feast might think about how they can carry its spirit and widen its embrace to those who have not been able to participate.” (NSA, 16 May, 2019)

Tuesday 4 June 2019

Shining Lamp Baha'i Summer School

To register for the Shining Lamp Summer Schools, or for more information, click here.




Friday 31 May 2019

Association for Baha'i Studies Annual Conference

The Association for Baha'i Studies is hosting their 43rd Annual Conference from 10 am August 8th to 1 pm August 11th, 2019 at the Westin Hotel, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The theme of the conference is "Beyond Critique: Laying the Groundwork for Social Transformation", and the 2019 conference "invites intellectual pursuits that endeavor to correlate the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh with lines of inquiry in various fields and disciplines in order to effect change at the level of thought, with further implications for change in practice and attitude. Specifically, we welcome contributions that help us grapple with the following questions:

  • How can we explore fundamental defects in present knowledge systems, while at the same time, advancing our understanding and generating spiritually grounded alternatives?
  • How can we engage in a critique of the underlying ideologies of knowledge systems without being limited by relativist, postmodern and materialistic modes of thinking?
  • Through Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, how can we ensure that our contribution to discourse includes both a deep understanding of what is, but also informed insights of what could be?
  • How can Bahá’í scholarship contribute to knowledge that seeks to lay the groundwork for new social structures built on principles of justice and oneness?"
(from https://bahai-studies.ca/theme-statement-and-call-for-presentations/).
If you would like to attend, registration details are provided here: https://bahai-studies.ca/upcoming-conference/upcoming-conference-registration/


Friday 17 May 2019

Ascension of Baha'u'llah

Commemoration of the Ascension of Baha'u'llah will take place on Wednesday May 29, 2019 at 1:00 am at Mill Courtland Community Center. The hall will be open at midnight of May 28. This event is potluck. All are invited to join us.


Declaration of the Bab

Commemoration of the Declaration of The Bab will be held on Thursday May 23, 2019 .9:00 pm at Lions Arena, located at 20 Rittenhouse Rd, Kitchener.  This will be a potluck dessert event. All are welcome to join us in celebrating this blessed event.




Wednesday 17 April 2019

Ridvan Celebration


"The arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Najíbíyyih Garden, subsequently designated by His followers the Garden of Riḍván, signalizes the commencement of what has come to be recognized as the holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals, the festival commemorating the Declaration of His Mission to His companions. So momentous a Declaration may well be regarded both as the logical consummation of that revolutionizing process which was initiated by Himself upon His return from Sulaymáníyyih, and as a prelude to the final proclamation of that same Mission to the world and its rulers from Adrianople" ( Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By).



Friday 1 February 2019

Firesides in Downtown Kitchener

Weekly Firesides in Downtown Kitchener: 

  • Monday, May 6th at 7:30 to 9:00 pm at Sheldon's house, 65 Hohner Ave., Kitchener; topic TBA
  • Sunday, May 26th from 3:30 to 5:00 pm at the Womo residence, (email or text for location information); topic TBA
Please message Sheldon by SMS text or WhatsApp at 519-504-9004 to let us know you plan to come, or if you have any questions. 

What are Baha'i "firesides"? These are typically informal gatherings with discussions on topics of spiritual import, usually related to Baha'i principles. They sometimes begin with a brief talk or reading of a passage to stimulate the conversation.

Everyone is welcome to attend and join in on the conversation, regardless of your belief background. (We will be meeting indoors, and may not have an actual fire...)