Tirana, Albania—More than 200 people came to an Interfaith Peace Blessing to congratulate 30 couples as they renewed their wedding vows.
The Family Festival and Cosmic Blessing Ceremony was held on May 14, 2017, at the Tirana International Hotel. The guests included Ambassadors for Peace and other dignitaries, as well as members of UPF and its affiliated organizations Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU), Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), and Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP).
Dr. No Hi Pak and his wife, Dr. Lan Young Moon, special advisors to UPF, officiated the marriage blessing ceremony. The emcees of the event were UPF-Albania Secretary General Sokol Rexhepi and his wife, Suzana.
Some of the couples who participated in the marriage blessing were Ambassadors for Peace who recently had attended a four-day seminar in the UPF Peace Principles. One of the comments heard was “It was much more beautiful than we expected.”
Many guests who were attending an Interfaith Peace Blessing for the first time said they were amazed by the atmosphere and were determined to take part in the next marriage blessing ceremony.
Professor Dr. Shezai Rrokaj, the chair of the Albanian Peace Council, who is a well-known and respected public figure on the national level, offered a congratulatory message. Mr. Gaqo Apostoli, the chair of UPF-Albania, gave a heartfelt message to all the marriage blessing participants and serenaded them with two beautiful songs.
Musical performances were offered by young UPF supporters from Korea, Japan and other European nations. Two professional musicians also performed very beautiful Albanian songs.