Lady Sara Louisa Blomfield (1859 – 1939) - “Sitárih [star] Khánum”, named by 'Abdu'l-Bahá; “dearly beloved”; “outstanding co-worker”; author of “Chosen Highway”; compiler of "Paris Talks"

“Profoundly grieve passing dearly beloved outstanding co-worker Sitarih Khánum. Memory her glorious, services imperishable. Advise English community hold befitting memorial gathering. Assure relatives, my heartfelt sympathy and loving fervent prayer.” (Cable from the Guardian, 1939; The Baha'i World 1938-1939)

In her inspiring, richly informative book about certain phases of Baha'i history, ‘The Chosen Highway’, Sara Louisa, Lady Blomfield, named Sitarih Khanum by 'Abdu'l-Baha, has given an account of the first time that she and her daughter Mary, called Parvine by Him, heard the Baha'i Faith mentioned. At a reception given by Madame Lucien Monod at her house in Paris in 1907, an attractive young guest, Miss Bertha Herbert, after seating herself between them, said to the Blomfields, "We have been taught to believe that a great Messenger would again be sent to the world: He would set forth to gather together all the peoples of good will in every race, nation, and religion on the earth. Now is the appointed time! He has come! He has come!"[1]

Lady Blomfield wrote, "These amazing words struck a chord to which my inner consciousness instantly responded, and I felt convinced that the portentous announcement they conveyed was indeed the truth. Great awe and intense exaltation possessed me with an overpowering force as I listened." [2]

Assured by Lady Blomfield that she and Mary were deeply interested in her remarks, Miss Herbert soon made an appointment for them to meet a gifted miniature painter, Miss Ethel Rosenberg, the second woman in the British Isles to enter the Faith, and a distinguished scholar, Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first French believer. These two remarkable people gave the Blomfields much information about the Faith.

On their return to London, they became acquainted with Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper, the first Baha'i in the British Isles. She and Ethel Rosenberg held meetings with the Blomfields to make plans for spreading the message. After hearing about the Revelation of Baha’u’llah, Lady Blomfield's foremost aim became to serve His Cause.

Mary has described her mother: "At this time she had the beauty of a mature soul. The moulding of her face was lovely .... Her facial expressions, ever changing, reflected the spiritual harmony within .... She wore garments with long flowing lines which made her seem taller than her natural height ...."[3]

Early in August 1911, when 'Abdu'l-Baha was still in Egypt, but preparing to leave for Europe, she sent Him an invitation to stay at her house at 97 Cadogan Gardens in London. A few days later, she received the following telegram in reply: "'Abdu'l-Baha arriving in London 8th September. Can Lady Blomfield receive Him?" [4]