LAPLACE — Bahá’ís of the River Parishes are preparing to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, this Saturday and Sunday.

Presentations of a special Bicentenary Gift Collections (6 books & 1 DVD) have already been made to the St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist Parish libraries with public Proclamation for 200th Anniversary made by the St. Parish President and Council, local leaders said.

The public is invited to celebrate the Life of Baha’u’llah on the 200th Anniversary of His Birth at the following:

Saturday: Bicentenary Prayers & Picnic Brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Greenwood park Gazebo, 386 Greenwood Drive in LaPlace. The event is sponsored by the Baha’i Communities of the River Parishes.

Sunday: Bicentenary Celebration from 4 to 7 pm at Kenner City Park Pavilion, 3800 Loyola Drive in Kenner.

The program will include a showing of the newly released video “Light of the World,” which tells the story of Baha’u’llah’s life and teachings.

Refreshments will be served at the event, which is free and open to public and co-sponsored by the Baha’i Communities of Kenner, East Jefferson Parish and the River Parishes.

“Now more than ever we need positive models of social change that bring people together rather than divide them,” said Charles Kennedy, Baha’i Public Info representative for the River Parishes. “This is what we will be celebrating in the months leading up to and including Bahá’u’lláh’s birth in October.”

To learn more, visit the local Facebook page (stjohnbahais) or national website, discover.bahai.us/bicentenary.