The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification drew a host of local VIP’s and an audience of nearly 1200 guests on April 2. Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the founder, gave the keynote address entitled "Blessed Marriage and Eternal Life" at 7:30pm in the Mertens Theater of the Arnold Bernhard Art and Humanities Center.

The Unification Campus Ministry invited Dr. Moon to come to UB as one of her 16 stops in America. According to Rev. Krys Hempowicz, the Connecticut director of FFWPU and Unification Campus Ministry, "Mrs. Moon is on her third world tour since 1994 promoting world peace through a blessing of marriage re-dedication to God."

The Moon family and organization have been the source of a lot of controversy in America over the past 24 years and around the world. Last year they officiated over a marriage rededication of over 40 million couples and this spring they will bless in marriage over 120 million couples around the globe. The main event will take place Saturday, June 13 in Madison Square Garden and be broadcast internationally via satellite to 12 other main cities and a number of different nations which will have smaller ceremonies.

At the end of her speech Dr. Moon greeted and thanked each of the local VIP’s and gave them a gift of 15 books each entitled "Gathering for Reading and Learning." These texts are translated from Korean speeches of the Moons and their record of over 40 years of Unification Movement activities, persecution, endurance and rise to a new global religion in over 185 nations.

Among the local VIP’s were President Richard Rubenstein, Dr. Betty Rubenstein, Bishop Skyers of the Apostolic Faith Church, Mr. Rodney Dennis, representing the ABCD community action agency, Prof. Thomas Juliusburger, director of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Rev. De Kock of the Creative Word Power Ministry, Rev. Jacob David of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, NJ, Dr. Zal Velvez, deputy mayor of West Orange, NJ, and Mr. Nicholas Pastor, former police chief of New Haven, CT.

Over 200 UB students, mostly Unificationist, attended the event. "We came out to support Mrs. Moon. She is a role model for young women who are committed to building families and establish themselves as professionals," commented a six-year Unificationist, Naoka Toda, who is a senior in mass communications at UB.

Amie Ceesay, a junior business major who is not affiliated with the FFWPU or the Unification Church, commented, "I was pretty impressed. I didn’t find her speech controversial. She spoke about family and life values."

 Download entire page and pages related to it in ZIP format
Table of Contents
Copyright Information
Tparents Home