This Week in History January 26 – February 1

This Week in History briefly lists significant events in the history of the Unification Church, the lives of the Founders and world events that are momentous to Unificationists. Most items are marked according to the solar calendar. Items marked “H.C.” correspond to the Cheon-gi or Heavenly Calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. This installment covers the week of January 26th to February 1st.

January 31, 2009

The Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony on True Parents’ 90th Birthday at the Manhattan Center, NY, January 31, 2009.

Holy Blessing Ceremony on the Occasion of True Parents’ 90th Birthday

The Holy Marriage Blessing Ceremony was held in the Hammerstein in the Manhattan Center in New York City on the occasion of True Parents’ 90th Birthday. This was the last Blessing officiated by Rev. Moon in the United States before his ascension in 2012.

January 31, 1974

Rev. Moon and members of the Unification Church in America hold a national prayer and fast during the Watergate Crisis at the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C. July 23, 1974.

True Father was invited to the Presidential Prayer Breakfast

On January 31, 1974, True Father was invited to the Presidential Prayer Breakfast. A post-breakfast rally at Lafayette Park brought out Edward and Tricia Nixon Cox, the son-in-law and daughter of 37th U.S. President Richard Nixon, who greeted well-wishers who rallied to “Forgive, Love and Unite” as an answer to the Watergate Crisis. On February 1, 1974, Rev. Moon had a twenty-minute audience with President Nixon, reportedly telling him, “Don’t knuckle under to pressure. Stand up for your convictions.”

January 26th- March 18th, 1976

Parents Send Support for Unification Church before Senate Hearings

The “Dole hearing” precipitated a crisis for the Unification movement. It was one thing to square off against media critics or against deprogrammers operating outside the law. It was quite another to witness one’s accusers receive a sympathetic hearing before a panel of government officials, and to be showcased with no opportunity for defense. The Unification Church regarded this as persecution. Its immediate response was to gather parents to show support for the church. The goal was to have 200 parents sign a telegram to Senator Bob Dole of Kansas protesting the way the church was being treated and “to have thirty parents come to Washington, D.C. to stand in support of their children.” The church was pleasantly surprised that over 800 parents sent telegrams and over 60 rallied to its support by traveling to Washington, D.C. Over the next several months, the church sponsored nine local or regional Parents’ Conferences which led to the first National Parents’ Conference at the time of the Yankee Stadium Rally. Beyond this, ministers were contacted, “not in direct support of the Unification Church” but in support of the church’s rights, “because if they were threatened, the rights of all religions in this country could also be threatened.” The church hoped to have 40 ministers sign a telegram but discovered that more than 200 ministers responded.

Compiled by Lymhwa Kim, Editorial Team