Durrës, Albania—Approximately 200 people attended a “Family Festival and Cosmic Blessing Ceremony” in the Albanian port city of Durrës.
The Interfaith Peace Blessing, held on June 9, 2017, was the second to be held in Durrës. Several European leaders of UPF attended the event, which was organized jointly by UPF and its affiliated organization Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU).
With Mateo and Majlinda Ziko of FFWPU-Albania as the emcees, the program started with entertainment provided by several young UPF volunteers who were visiting from Korea and Japan.
Jack Corley, the UPF regional chair for Europe, gave the opening remarks, followed by Dieter Schmidt, the chair of UPF of Germany. They both expressed deep admiration for the importance that Albanian people give to the family, and they congratulated the participants of the Interfaith Peace Blessing for taking part in such a great event.
UPF special advisors Dr. No Hi Pak and his wife, Dr. Lan Young Moon, were the officiators for the Blessing ceremony, in which 37 couples participated. Afterward the couples were presented with the autobiography of UPF founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon.