New Branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe opens in Brussels, Belgium

Nearly 1,000 Scientologists and their guests from across Europe attended the dedication of the Brussels branch of the Churches of Scientology for Europe on Saturday.  A representative of Church of Scientology International, the Mother Church of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony held in the early-20th-century historic structure at Boulevard de Waterloo 100-103.

Presiding was the Reverend Robert Adams of the Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology International. In welcoming the parishioners, staff and guests from more than a dozen countries, he introduced the new Brussels branch as "an international Church for an international city, dedicated to helping all the people of Europe."

Rev. Adams called the opening the "beginning of a new era for Scientology parishioners and all residents of Belgium and Europe.  You are always welcome in our Churches, and we invite you to participate with us as we serve the larger community with effective solutions to uplift the visible decay of the society in which we live."

Distinguished guest speakers participating in the dedication of the new Church were the Honorable Hugo Coveliers, Senator in the Belgian Parliament; Professor Abolfazl Beheshti, Professor of International Relations and Energy Economy at the University of Lille, France; The Honorable Juan Ferreiro, Spain’s Deputy Director General for Religious Affairs at the Spanish Ministry of Justice; Ms. Katalin Szomor, expert member of the Drugs Commission of the Hungarian Parliament and former national drug coordinator; and the Reverend Christopher Vonck, Rector of the Faculty for Comparative Study of Religions at the University of Antwerp.

In his address to the Scientologists and guests, Senator Coveliers said, "This new Church in the capital city of Europe stands as a beautiful testament to your help, and you can be certain of my continued support. You care for people, and this Church is such an example of this attitude."

The new Church in Brussels has undergone extensive renovation not only to accommodate all Scientology religious services but also as a home for the community services provided through the many activities and humanitarian programs of Church members. 

The 88,000-square-foot Church includes an expansive Information Hall housing a multimedia exhibit describing the religion’s beliefs and practices and the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.  Displays also cover the Church-sponsored humanitarian and social betterment programs that offer practical answers to the societal ills of crime, drug abuse, illiteracy, declining moral values and natural and manmade disasters. These programs represent the work of Churches of Scientology in servicing every community in which they reside as well as other communities around the world.

There is also an auditorium for congregational gatherings which also serves as a Chapel for Sunday services, weddings and naming ceremonies; a Documentation Center containing the written and spoken materials of L. Ron Hubbard; rooms for religious training and religious counseling; and Public Affairs offices and meeting rooms to coordinate human rights initiatives across Europe with like-minded organizations.

Rev. Adams closed the ceremony with these words from Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard:

"Change no man’s religion, change no man’s politics, interrupt the sovereignty of no nation.  Instead, teach man to use what he has and what he knows to the factual creation, within any political reference, of a civilization on Earth for the first time."
___________________________

The new Brussels branch is the third Church of Scientology opened in Europe in the past year. In April 2009 a new Church opened in the Swedish seaport city of Malmo, and in October 2009 a new Church was opened in Rome.

Brussels, Malmo and Rome now join a roster of new Churches of Scientology opened in capitals across Europe, including the National Church of Scientology of Spain, in Madrid’s Neighborhood of Letters; the Church of Scientology of Berlin, Germany, near the Brandenburg Gate; and the Church of Scientology of London, England, located in the epicenter of the city.

To serve growing congregations and their communities, major Churches of Scientology were also opened in the United States in 2009: In Texas, the Church of Scientology of Dallas, opened in April 2009; in Tennessee, the Church of Scientology and Celebrity Center Nashville, opened in April 2009; and in the nation’s capital, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, opened in October 2009.

An additional three Churches of Scientology are scheduled for ribbon cutting in February 2010, with another 12 new Churches scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

Photos: Stunning new Church of Scientology of Las Vegas

Following are photos provided to the media by the Church of Scientology International of the absolutely gorgeous new Church of Scientology of Las Vegas.

Scientologists and guests toured the new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Las Vegas on February 5, 2010, after the ribbon was cut on the fully renovated building at 2761 Emerson Avenue.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman was a guest speaker at the dedication of the new Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Las Vegas on Saturday. Officiating at the opening ceremony was Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion.

The Chapel serves parishioners and guests for Sunday services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings.

 
The Public Information Center in the new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Las Vegas contains multimedia displays presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion and the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center is open to the public daily for self-guided tours.

While the Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Las Vegas serves the entire Las Vegas community, it also fulfills the unique purpose of helping the artist and thereby benefiting the culture as a whole. The President’s Office provides a receiving and gathering place for artists and guests, whether coming to the Church for Scientology services or simply visiting.

The new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Las Vegas include an outdoor a café for the convenience of parishioners and visitors.

New Church of Scientology Opens in Las Vegas

Fifteen hundred Scientologists and their guests from across Nevada and the Western United States gathered Saturday for the grand opening celebration of the new Church of Scientology of Las Vegas. The 40,000-square-foot Church, located at 2761 Emerson Avenue, will serve parishioners from throughout Nevada and represents significant growth for the congregation formed in Las Vegas 40 years ago.

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, presided at the evening dedication ceremony, welcoming the assembled Scientologists and guests to their new Church. He was enthusiastically acknowledged by those in attendance for dedicating the Las Vegas Church and for his instrumental role in making it possible.

Special guests participating in the dedication of the new Church included United States Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas City Council member Steven Ross, and Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department specialist and mayor’s representative to the Community Interfaith Council Maria Castillo-Couch.

In welcoming the parishioners and guests, Mr. Miscavige said, "You don’t get much closer to the spirit of what we represent than a city that rests on the dreams of artists and treats everybody as somebody. So, yes, we have opened new Churches in cultural epicenters before. But talk about ‘Center Stage Planet Earth.’ This one stands in a town so bright you can even see it glowing from deep space. And now it’s home to our newest Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Las Vegas."

The Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman, welcomed the new Church: "Artistic creativity not only transforms the way a city is perceived, but the way its residents think of themselves. It changes their entire outlook and attitude towards life itself. That is where you play an especially vital role. Therefore as the mayor of the fastest-growing city, I look forward to partnering with you as the fastest-growing religion."

In her address, Congresswoman Berkley acknowledged the human rights initiatives of the Church: "It is more than encouraging to find your members moving effectively among Las Vegas families, school groups, youth organizations, and other community-based organizations, to provide effective human rights education. It is through such effective community involvement and contribution that the Church of Scientology will continue to strengthen this nation and build a worldwide foundation for peace."

Talking about the new Church, Mr. Miscavige said that Celebrity Centres are those special Churches of Scientology designed to enhance a culture by enhancing the artist.

"The first of this new breed was opened only just last year in Nashville-otherwise known as Music City, USA," he said. "But as your honorable Mayor pointed out, what plays in this city now plays in every other cultural capital on earth.

"And even more than that-and with all due respect to your Mayor’s modesty-it’s not a London, a Paris, a Tokyo, Milan or New York that tops the résumé of international performers these days. No, it’s the fact one can say: ‘I do Las Vegas, which is Show Town planet Earth.’

"So, yes-and unquestionably-when L. Ron Hubbard spoke of ‘art as viewed by people, heard by people and felt by people, because art is not just the fodder of a close-knit group of initiates but the soul food of all people…’ he might well have been speaking of what this city represents as a worldwide capital of art and entertainment-a place where big shows qualify as an ‘act of God’ and there are no words for ‘over the top,’ so long as people are enthralled," Mr. Miscavige continued.

"All of which is why it’s more than a little significant that we now cut a ribbon on an Ideal Organization that embodies what else LRH said about art-and I quote:

"’A culture is only as great as its dreams and its dreams are dreamed by artists.’

"But still that’s not all this new Ideal Organization represents. Because as an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s amply equipped to embrace everyone else who makes up this culture. Those in the wings of every performance, those who service, care for, prop up and cater to every entertainer-as they, too, are Las Vegas, so this Church is also theirs. And the same again for everyone else who pumps the lifeblood through this city: Its technicians, its teachers, its cops, its cooks, its managers and professionals of every description-what this Church affords is likewise theirs for the asking.

"So if drug abuse and addiction plagues every showbiz palace, then spills out all over the streets-this Church can make a difference," he said. "In point of fact, you have our anti-drug programs that routinely knock down usage rates 40, 50 and 60 percent wherever they play. Then again, if there are kids out there who will never come close to achieving any meaningful goal for the simple fact they cannot read and cannot study, we have a technology that just as routinely raises literacy rates two and three grade levels in a matter of weeks. And if there are households out there in discord and contentious rifts in the neighborhoods, you have our common sense guide to living, The Way to Happiness. And wherever else social fabrics fray and citizens fall through the safety net, this Church is here to help."

Set on five acres of desert landscape, the former synagogue and school has undergone extensive renovation to accommodate all Scientology religious services and also serve as a home for the community services the Church provides through the many activities and humanitarian programs of its members.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent multimedia exhibit describing the Church’s beliefs and practices and the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. Displays also cover the Church-sponsored humanitarian and social betterment programs that offer practical answers to the societal ills of crime, drug abuse, illiteracy, declining moral values and natural and man-made disasters. These programs represent the work of the Church of Scientology in servicing every community in which they reside as well as other communities around the world.

There is also a Chapel for Sunday services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings including workshops and seminars for artists; spiritual counseling rooms; course rooms for religious study; seminar rooms; a bookstore containing the written and spoken materials of L. Ron Hubbard; and Community Relations offices and meeting rooms to coordinate social betterment programs with like-minded organizations in the community. There are spacious lounges and a central courtyard to serve as a gathering place for artists and community visitors, in keeping with the unique purpose of a Scientology Celebrity Centre to help the artist and thereby benefit the culture as a whole.

In closing the dedication ceremony, Mr. Miscavige spoke of the significance for Las Vegas of the new Church: "Yours is a city that rose out of sand to become an artistic empire and inspire the world. As such, it really is a place of dreams-and extravagant dreams at that. So as we, too, know what it means to build upon a dream, let this new Church of Scientology signify the fact we believe in your artists, we respect the audacity of your vision-and together, we can light up this city so brightly, it will shine unto eternity."
Accompanied by local Scientologists who spearheaded the drive to build the new Church, Mr. Miscavige cut the ribbon and invited all to enter.

___________________________

Las Vegas is the third new Church of Scientology opened in 2010 and the eighth in the past year. The Brussels branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe was opened on January 23. The Church of Scientology of Quebec was dedicated on January 30 by Mr. Miscavige, the first new major Church to open in Canada. In October 2009, Mr. Miscavige dedicated two major Churches: the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, and the Church of Scientology of Rome. In April 2009, he officiated at the openings of Scientology Churches in Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; and Malmo, Sweden. 
These Churches join the roster of new Churches of Scientology in the world’s cultural capitals, including the National Church of Scientology of Spain in Madrid’s Neighborhood of Letters; the Church of Scientology of New York, just off Times Square; the Church of Scientology of San Francisco, California, in the original historic Transamerica Building; the Church of Scientology of London, England, located in the epicenter of the city; and the Church of Scientology of Berlin, Germany, near the Brandenburg Gate.

Another 12 new Churches of Scientology are scheduled for completion before the end of the year.

Photos – New Ideal Org: Church of Scientology Quebec

This past weekend, I made my way up from Washington, D.C. to see the grand opening of the Church of Scientology of Quebec.   The new church, located at 665 rue Saint-Joseph in Quebec,  is in an outstanding location – and at 47,000 square feet of space is roomy enough to accommodate all of the Church’s outreach activities and programs to help the community.

I took a number of  photos while I was there – I’ll include those as well as some of the official photos available on ScientologyNews.info:

Fifteen hundred Scientologists and guests packed the street in front of 665 rue Saint-Joseph to celebrate the opening of their new Church in the Saint-Roch district of Lower Quebec City. Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, dedicated the new Church of Scientology of Quebec on 30 January 2010.

 

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, dedicated the new Church of Scientology of Quebec on 30 January 2010. The Quebec Church was the second new Scientology Church opened in January and the seventh new Church opened in the past year. 

 

Scientologists and guests toured the new Church of Scientology of Quebec on 30 January 2010 after the ribbon was cut on the fully renovated Art Deco building at 665 rue St-Joseph in the Saint-Roch quarter of Lower Quebec City.

 

Just inside the new Church of Scientology of Quebec is the Public Information Center with multimedia displays presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion and the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center is open to the public daily for self-guided tours.

 

The Chapel serves the congregation for Sunday services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings.

 

And, not quite as colorful, but adding context, are some of the photos I took at the Grand Opening:

 
Some of the 1,500 guests that came to see Mr. David Miscavige open the new Church of Scientology of Quebec.

 
A pair of ice sculptures of the Scientology and Dianetics symbols which were created at the entrance of the new Quebec Church of Scientology.  It was about 1°F out there, so the ice was in no danger of melting.

Scientology in Kurdish Iraq

I just got this story in my e-mail from the Scientology International Library Campaign.  It’s from someone who has been working to get Scientology & Dianetics books into all of the libraries of Earth:

Several days ago I picked up a scribbled handwritten message from our Receptionist. This message mentioned that a person wanted to buy a book from our company. On the note was a long phone number — and from a glance at it, it was not from the U.S.

I sat down and called the number and it sounded like I was calling some number in a VERY far away land. A person picked up the phone and did not say anything. I heard a language I did not recognize in the background – one I had never heard before. Then suddenly a strong “hello” came across the line.

Library in Kurdish Iraq

I told him who I was and where I was calling from. He replied in broken English that he wanted to buy one of our paperback books. He and his wife had saved up enough funds for the past 3 weeks to come up with $15. Mysteriously he mentioned to me that he had read “The Secret Book”. Politely I asked him if it was a Dianetics book or a Scientology book. He replied that it was the first book I had mentioned. He continued to say that it completely changed his life and he wanted to tell his family and friends about it. In a roundabout fashion, he told me he had “gotten it from some friends”. He told me that he was in Iraq and that he was Kurdish.

I found out that he is a professor in a University in Sulaimanyah and wants to teach Dianetics and Scientology to his students.

I asked him, “Would it be okay with you if I sent you donations of the 18 hardcover books for your University library?” He had a 15 second comm lag and replied, “Are you fooling me?” To this I replied “No, I am not. I will send you donations if it is safe for you to have them.”

Once again he comm lagged for another 15 seconds and then said “If you did this, you would make me the happiest man on Earth!”

Weeks later I received a reply from Brwa Qadir Saeed (the name of the public) and his reply is as follows:

Studying the Scientology & Dianetics Basics in a Library in Kurdish Iraq

“Thank you very much for your assistance and I will be in very high spirits if I could help you with anything please. Your help is the best thing which has happened to my life and thank you again, and I don’t know what I could say to give my appreciation for your help. Thank you very much again, and I will let you know if I need anything.”

This is the very first reach for Dianetics and Scientology we have ever received from this area of the world — Northeast Iraq.