Changes

==Mass Wedding in South Korea==

==Mass Wedding in South Korea==

On March 24th, 2012, thousands of young Unificationist couples gathered in Korea for a mass wedding affirmation ceremony.

On March 24, 2012, thousands of young Unificationist couples gathered in Korea for a mass wedding affirmation ceremony.

   

   

Almost sixty years have passed since the founding of the Unification Church, and second-and third-generation Unificationists are being inspired by the faith of their parents. Many have opted to participate in the tradition of marriage partly arranged by their parents. Several young couples living in Maryland attended the recent Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony in Korea, which Rev. Sun Myung Moon officiated on March 24th, 2012.  

Almost sixty years have passed since the founding of the Unification Church, and second-and third-generation Unificationists are being inspired by the faith of their parents. Many have opted to participate in the tradition of marriage partly arranged by their parents. Several young couples living in Maryland attended the recent Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony in Korea, which Rev. Sun Myung Moon officiated on March 24, 2012.  

Andrew Makowski (21) and Lisa Scazerro (21), of Riverdale, New York, are a second-generation [[Unificationist]] couple who attended a satellite ceremony at the Manhattan Center in New York. Their nine-month-long engagement was negotiated by their parents, who were participants in some of the first Holy Blessing ceremonies. They are looking forward to a lifetime together with hope and excitement.  

Andrew Makowski (21) and Lisa Scazerro (21), of Riverdale, New York, are a second-generation [[Unificationist]] couple who attended a satellite ceremony at the Manhattan Center in New York. Their nine-month-long engagement was negotiated by their parents, who were participants in some of the first Holy Blessing ceremonies. They are looking forward to a lifetime together with hope and excitement.  

===Other success factors===

===Other success factors===

Makowski and Scazerro have been consciously building love for one another since their commitment ceremony on June 12th, 2011. “We’ve been working on getting to know each other more deeply while keeping things platonic before our marriage,” said Scazerro. “I like to think that we are building a foundation now. In our future life, not only will we be able to stand on it, but we will be able to create a loving, supporting family upon it.”

Makowski and Scazerro have been consciously building love for one another since their commitment ceremony on June 12, 2011. “We’ve been working on getting to know each other more deeply while keeping things platonic before our marriage,” said Scazerro. “I like to think that we are building a foundation now. In our future life, not only will we be able to stand on it, but we will be able to create a loving, supporting family upon it.”

“People whose marriages are arranged have much more realistic expectations heading into marriage,” said Epstein. “Very often, because they’re immersed in a certain community, they have role models around them. Sometimes the parents are in successful arranged marriages themselves. And they have the support from that religious community or cultural niche that they’re in. So, there are a lot of factors regarding why they’re almost certainly going to do better than ‘love marriages’. One survey said that in India, roughly 90 percent of the people were arranged, and the country had one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, even though divorce was legal there.”

“People whose marriages are arranged have much more realistic expectations heading into marriage,” said Epstein. “Very often, because they’re immersed in a certain community, they have role models around them. Sometimes the parents are in successful arranged marriages themselves. And they have the support from that religious community or cultural niche that they’re in. So, there are a lot of factors regarding why they’re almost certainly going to do better than ‘love marriages’. One survey said that in India, roughly 90 percent of the people were arranged, and the country had one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, even though divorce was legal there.”

[[Category:Churches]]

[[Category:Churches]]

[[Category: Marriage]]

[[Category:Marriage]]