Paris Education Centre Dedication Ceremony

Day of Gratitude and Hope in Paris Paris Education Centre Dedication Ceremony Paris, France, 18. June 2016 Mr. Jack Corley, Continental Director of Europe, visited France earlier this month and spoke to us on the theme of Gratitude and Hope. On June 18th, as European leaders, including Mr. Corley, joined together with French members for two ceremonies in our new Paris Education Centre, we experienced gratitude and hope in a direct and powerful way.

O n May 10th, 2015 our True education centre in Paris to educate space, 186 square metres, and then to Mother, while visiting Vienna, future young leaders. closely follow the restoration work Austria to celebrate the 50th During the past year a great deal of until completion. anniversary of providential effort was made by a number of On June 18th, 2016 we gathered work in Europe, offered the French members to find the best site, conclude together for the Dedication Ceremony Movement very generous financial the purchase of that site, draw up plans of our new Paris Education Centre. support for the establishment of an to make the best use of the limited Under the guidance and inspiration of

Rev. No-hi Pak and Dr. Lan-young Moon, our special emissaries, and in the presence of Mr. Jack Corley, the three European Vice Presidents and 12 European regional leaders, around 50 representatives of the French Movement came together to dedicate and offer this centre to our Heavenly Parent and our True Parents.

day in France. It marks the day in 1940 Rev. Pak and Mr. Corley then offered when General Charles De Gaulle, who congratulatory remarks encouraging us had fled France to Britain in order to to make use of this centre to launch a organize French resistance to the new revolution in France, an Abel-type German occupation in WWII, launched revolution centred on True Love. Mr. his Appeal of 18 June in a BBC Moulinet then spoke of the process of broadcast from London. At a moment finding and restoring the centre and when France had been totally defeated concluded by sharing about the history and had capitulated, his was a voice of of the French Movement. hope in the wilderness telling the The ceremony began at 9 am with an French people not to lose hope. France offering of flowers to our True Parents had the British Empire and the in gratitude for their life of sacrifice economic might of the United States as which is the foundation upon which allies. Victory was still possible. His this centre has been built. Then Rev. voice offered hope in the darkness of Pak, Dr. Moon and Mr. Corley were defeat. joined by Mr. Jean-François Moulinet: National Leader of France, Ms. Sophie Thiebaut: Youth Federation President, Mrs. Brigitte Wada: Women’s We were then treated to an impressive Federation President and Mr. Jacques musical offering by three siblings from Marion: UPF President, for the ribbon the Koyama family from the south of cutting. France. Ye-Bonne, Mitsuko and Takeyuki Koyama played the Concerto in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. Sitting in the impressive new centre Mr. Perry saw the gathering of and listening to such beautiful music European leaders in Paris for this made us feel that we were truly in Dedication Ceremony as a condition of Cheon Il Guk. European unity which can offer hope After the music, all seven ribbon in the darkness. Even if we have had cutters came back on stage for the cake difficult times in some of our nations, cutting. And our ceremony then came we, like France in 1940, must have to a conclusion with a not-so-loud Og Rev. Pak and Dr. Moon offered faith and confidence that working Mansei. We did not want to scare our prayers and then all seven cut the together we can bring change to our neighbours on our first day there so ribbon at the same time. There was a nations. Our allies are God and True everyone was asked to say Mansei very joyful atmosphere seeing this Parents. You cannot have better allies with their heart more than with their beautiful new centre “open for than that. voice. business” in an area with a beautiful park, Montsouris Park, where many students from the nearby Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, a campus with dormitories where thousands of students live, can easily be contacted. Mr. David Perry, the MC, reminded everyone that June 18th is a historic

We had a 45 minute coffee break which went by quite fast as everyone was enjoyed having time to catch up with those they do not see so often. And then it was time to return to the meeting room for the second part of our program.

Dedication ceremony: pictures Sancitification ceremony: pictures Video: https://vimeo.com/172228869