Now & Then: An Anniversary to Remember

Thirty-five years ago, on July 1, 1982, Father and Mother Moon presided over the Marriage Blessing Ceremony of 2,075 couples at Madison Square Garden. This number eclipsed the previous record of 1,800 couples wed by True Parents in 1975, which the Guinness World Records reference book recorded as the largest mass wedding in history. More than 60 percent of the couples were either interracial or cross-cultural. With this event, the demographics for the Unification movement in America went from primarily single people to mostly married people virtually overnight!

As Unificationists celebrate 35 years since this record-setting ceremony at Madison Square Garden, Mother Moon is set to return to the illustrious venue on July 15 to deliver a message of hope and peace.

So What Exactly Is the Marriage Blessing?

The heart and soul of Father and Mother Moon’s lifelong ministry is the re-establishment of God’s ideal of family as the cornerstone of world peace. The Marriage Blessing movement, which began with three couples in 1960, has reached millions of couples of all faiths worldwide. In a traditional wedding, a bride and groom stand alone in front of family and friends to proclaim their vows. In the Blessing ceremony, couples are married alongside of hundreds, sometimes thousands of other couples, in one big ceremony. Why would anyone want to share their wedding day? Because marriage is not just about the joining together of “man and wife.” It is a joining together of two families, and often, two cultures. There is a higher purpose that goes beyond the couple. They commit not just to each other, but also to God, putting the Heavenly Parent in the center of their family.

Were You One of the 2075? Win a Trip to Hawaii! (UPDATE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.)

UPDATE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.  A contest is being held to give couples from the 1982 Blessing a great anniversary gift: a free trip to Hawaii! If you or someone you know happens to have participated in the 2075 Couple Marriage Blessing of 1982, all you have to do is post a picture on Facebook or Instagram of the couple at the Madison Square Garden Blessing ceremony along with a recent photo, and use the hashtags #peacestartswithme, #msgjuly15, and #greaterthanourdiffferences.