Scientology Today

KLAS TV coverage on the opening of the new Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre of Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS - The First Church of Scientology in Las Vegas dedicated a new building on Saturday. The relentless rain didn’t stop Saturday’s dedication. “We have opened new churches in cultural epicenters before, but talk about center stage, planet earth,” exclaimed Ecclesiastical Leader David Miscavige. “This one stands in a town so bright you can even see it glowing from deep space.”

Several public officials attended the grand opening, including Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. “As the mayor of the fastest growing city, I look forward to partnering with you as the fastest growing religion,” Goodman said.

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QUEBEC CITY.  Fifteen hundred Scientologists and their guests from across Canada and the United States packed the street in front of 665 rue Saint-Joseph in the heart of the Nouvo Saint-Roch district of Lower Quebec City to attend the opening of the Church of Scientology of Quebec/Eglise de Scientologie de Quebec on Saturday.

The opening of the 47,000-square-foot Church, which will serve parishioners from throughout the province, represents significant growth for the congregation, which was formed in Quebec 35 years ago.

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, presided at the dedication ceremony, welcoming the assembled Scientologists and guests to the new Church.  His introduction was met with prolonged and enthusiastic ovation in appreciation of his presence in Quebec and his instrumental role in making possible the opening of this new Church and all it represents for the future of Scientologists in Canada.

As Mr. Miscavige stated, “This new breed of Church is all in preparation for much more to come in the future.  Well, that future is upon us now.”

The Quebec Church marks the beginning of a major Scientology expansion across Canada, with new Churches to be opened in Montreal, Quebec; Kitchener, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and a full renovation of the Church of Scientology in Toronto.  Also on the horizon, on 190 acres just outside Toronto, is the Scientology Advanced Organization for Canadian parishioners and Canada’s Continental Liaison Office to coordinate Scientology expansion and social betterment programs across the nation.

Dignitaries participating in the dedication of the new Church included the Honorable Alvin Curling, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and now Senior Fellow at the Center for International Governance for Innovation; the Honorable Pamela Appelt, a judge in the Court of Canadian Citizenship and a patron of the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development; and Mr. Alan Stein, noted religious freedom and human rights attorney and professor of law.

In his address, Mr. Curling said, “Let this new home for the Church of Scientology in Quebec be a beacon to all men and women of goodwill - a place where they will always be welcome to work together in helping this world. Bringing together people of goodwill is a hallmark of the Church of Scientology, which is why I celebrate this new Church with you today.”

The three-story stone and glass structure spans a city block with distinctive Art Deco façades at the two main entrances. The building 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 manmade 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; spiritual counseling rooms; course rooms for religious study; an event hall and seminar rooms; a bookstore containing the written and spoken materials of L. Ron Hubbard; and Public Affairs offices and meeting rooms to coordinate social betterment programs with like-minded organizations in the community. For the convenience of parishioners and visitors, there is also a café.

In opening the dedication ceremony, Mr. Miscavige noted that the day gave new meaning to Quebec’s motto Je me souviens- I remember.  In closing, he said, “Let this new Church symbolize the fact that we not only remember Quebec, we shall also never forget our commitment to her people-and all in the spirit of this from L. Ron Hubbard:

“‘When you leave here today and walk out into the world, remember the tools of life that you have and your role to use them to help your fellows.’”

Accompanied by Scientologists from Quebec who led the drive to build the new Church, Mr. Miscavige cut the ribbon and invited all to enter.

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The Quebec Church is the second new Church of Scientology opened this month and the seventh in the past year. The Brussels branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe was dedicated on 23 January 2010. In October 2009, Mr. Miscavige dedicated two major new Churches: the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, and the Church of Scientology of Rome. In April 2009, he dedicated new Scientology Churches in Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; and in Malmo, Sweden.

These Churches join the roster of new Churches of Scientology opened 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.

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

Church of Scientology of Pasadena anticipates a new era of expansion with the renovation and restoration of its new headquarters in Old Pasadena

Artist’s rendition of the planned exterior of the new Church of Scientology of Pasadena.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is bringing in the new year and decade by beginning renovation of the historic Braley Building this week in the heart of Old Pasadena.  The full renovation and restoration of the Braley Building by fall 2010 reflects significant expansion for the Pasadena Church.  The 50,800-square-foot building at 35 South Raymond Avenue will serve 10,000 parishioners and provide a broad spectrum of community outreach programs in the greater Pasadena area, including Glendale, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Sunland/Tujunga, the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire and San Bernardino.

The first floor of the new Pasadena Church will house an extensive Public Information Center with more than 20 multimedia displays, designed to answer nearly any question about Scientology and provide information regarding the Church’s community outreach and social betterment initiatives, including their anti-drug and human rights programs.  The first floor will also hold a bookstore, café, chapel and a multipurpose room that will host community meetings and events.  The upper floors are devoted to course rooms for religious studies and individual counseling rooms.

Scientology churches are well known in the field of adaptive reuse—an efficient and environmentally responsible trend in architecture, which retains the classic features of historic buildings while converting them for new uses—and have renovated, restored and opened 15 new Churches in major cities around the world in the past decade.  Five new Churches were opened and dedicated by Mr. David Miscavige, the Church’s international ecclesiastical leader, in the last year alone: Dallas, Nashville, Washington, DC, Rome and Malmö, Sweden.

In its story announcing the Church of Scientology of Pasadena’s long-awaited renovations project, the Pasadena Star-News reported that Old Pasadena Management District President Steve Mulheim said everyone is “thrilled” to see progress on the building.

“Our new beautiful Church is a whole new expansion for us and it is going to be a wonderful community asset,” said Eden Stein, President of the Pasadena Church.  “We are greatly looking forward to sharing it.”  Ms. Stein said the new facilities will make it possible to provide an entirely new level of community outreach.

The Church will provide introductory and parishioner services at its new location seven days a week until 9:30 p.m. weekdays and until 6 p.m. weekends.

Matt Sedensky of the Associated Press covers the work done to release more than a thousand lectures by L. Ron Hubbard, announced at the New Years event 2010.

More than 1,000 unreleased recordings of lectures by L. Ron Hubbard and reams of corresponding writings have been unveiled in the culmination of a 25-year project to locate, restore and transcribe lost pieces of the Scientology founder’s work.

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Led by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Scientologists are celebrating a renaissance of their faith.

Today, the Church of Scientology has expanded to more than 8,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups in 165 nations—doubling the number in the last five years.  This year alone, the Church completed a $40 million restoration of one of its oldest landmark buildings and inaugurated five major new Church buildings in Malmo, Dallas, Nashville, Rome and Washington, DC. Current demand for L. Ron Hubbard’s books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology has outstripped the last five decades combined, approaching 70 million distributed in the last two years.  All the while the Church’s ever growing humanitarian programs in the fields of anti-drug, human rights, morals education and disaster relief have positively impacted hundreds of millions of lives.

As the decade comes to a close, Scientologists world over are celebrating their religion’s most expansive year to date.  2009 marked the 25th Anniversary of the International Association of Scientologists, the official membership organization of Scientology. In addressing the more than 7,000 Scientologists and guests in attendance at the anniversary event on October 16th in England, Mr. David Miscavige praised members for their dedication and contribution to the tremendous accomplishments of the Church to date and expressed his optimism for the future of Scientology:

“Our battles of yesterday were to stay alive. Our battles of tomorrow are to overcome the obstacles to eternity itself. Because we have never taken our eye off the ultimate prize, we stand where we are today. Twenty-five years of magnificent accomplishment and a future more glorious than we could have ever imagined.”

The scriptures of Dianetics and Scientology are comprised of over 500,000 pages and over 3,000 recorded lectures by Founder, L. Ron Hubbard. Since July 2007, over 67 million copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s basic books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology have been distributed.  (During the Church’s first 50 years a total of 39 million copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s works on Dianetics and Scientology were in circulation.) With all of these materials available in 15 languages, and the nine basic books now available in 50 languages, the total number of Dianetics and Scientology translations over the last decade is 10 times the previous five decades combined. In recognition of this fact, the Guinness World Records acknowledged L. Ron Hubbard as the world’s most translated author.

In-house digital publishing facilities can print over 500,000 books and 925,000 recorded lectures on CD per week

The demand for L. Ron Hubbard’s materials has grown exponentially in the last year with the numbers of new people coming into Churches and Missions to find out about Scientology growing in the same fashion. Indeed, the Scientology religion is now enjoying its greatest era of expansion in history, with public demand for L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures escalating across more than 165 countries.

To keep pace with the demand, the Church operates two state-of-the-art digital printing and CD manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles and Copenhagen.

In 2009, the Church’s publication arm, Bridge Publications, Inc. in Los Angeles, opened a 274,000-square-foot digital in-house printing and manufacturing facility, thereby increasing its publishing capacity to 500,000 books and 925,000 CDs per week, an increase of 660% over 2007.

State-of-the-art film and audio studios with the most advanced digital recording and editing equipment in the world

In June 2009 the Church celebrated the 21st Anniversary of the Maiden Voyage of the Freewinds religious retreat and annual religious convocation for advanced Scientologists. During this week-long series of events and seminars, Mr. Miscavige announced “the single most momentous advance in Dianetics technology” since the original publication of Dianetics on May 9, 1950.  The project, four years in the making and personally directed by Mr. Miscavige, resulted in 32 films totaling 4 ½ hours.  The films have been translated into 15 languages.  They put Dianetics fully into visual form, making the subject universally accessible to everyone.

June also saw the release of educational films to support Church-sponsored social betterment and humanitarian programs. The first of these was the new, full-length Truth About Drugs documentary giving addicts and at-risk youth the chance to find out from those who have lived it, exactly how addiction shatters lives. The second was The Story of Human Rights, an educational film which provides a short, concise and powerful lesson in the history and necessity of human rights and the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

October marked the completion and release of the feature-length film, The Way to Happiness. This 2-hour film presents this nonreligious common sense guide to moral living by L. Ron Hubbard.

Church-sponsored humanitarian programs touch the lives of hundreds of millions in 2009.

The Church-sponsored humanitarian programs using the latter three films reached hundreds of millions of people in 2009 and billions since their inception.

The Church-sponsored anti-drug education initiative (“Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life”) is the largest nongovernmental anti-drug campaign in the world and, through the airing of public service announcements, distribution of free drug education booklets and events promoting a drug-free life, it has reached over 853 million people since its inception.

The Church-sponsored human rights education program (“United for Human Rights”) is the largest in the world and based entirely on raising awareness of the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Through the airing of public service announcements, human rights symposiums and events and distribution of human rights educational materials, the campaign has reached over 943 million people since it commenced.

The Church-sponsored morals program based on the common-sense guide to living, The Way to Happiness, has now reached nearly 800 million people through its public service announcements, educational materials and Set a Good Example contests.

The Church of Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers, over 200,000 strong, have helped over 1.4 million people in times of disaster in 2009 alone.  The motto of Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers is “Something Can Be Done About It.”

Mr. Miscavige is driving a movement now spanning the world with new Ideal Churches of Scientology.

Mr. Miscavige’s vision sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches-quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting.  For the past five years, the Church has dedicated itself to a program to locate, renovate and open new Scientology Churches to service its parishioners and their communities around the world. Since the launch of this program five years ago, over 70 new buildings have been acquired internationally. Real estate holdings have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with over 600,000 square feet of renovations completed in just 2009.

14 March 2009: At the Church’s spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, the Fort Harrison Hotel opened in March 2009 after a $40 million renovation and restoration. The building was stripped virtually bare and rebuilt from its core, including the installation of new state-of-the-art systems. This landmark still bears its hallmark historical touches, however, including replication of the lobby’s original black wrought iron work and gold leaf moldings. The resurfacing of the entire exterior with added architectural detailing makes this religious retreat even more beautiful than at its legendary beginning in 1926, when she was known as “the Aristocrat of Southern Florida Hotels.”

4 April 2009: Three weeks after the inauguration of the new Fort Harrison, a new Church of Scientology in the Swedish seacoast city of Malmö was formally opened by Mr. Miscavige. European dignitaries and guests from 32 nations gathered to celebrate a historic day: dedication of the 72,000-square-foot landmark Church of Scientology, acquired, designed, renovated and opened in less than six months.

11 April 2009: One week later, in Dallas, Texas, a 41,000-square-foot Church opened its doors. With Mr. Miscavige officiating, the Church of Scientology Dallas was formally welcomed to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by City of Irving Mayor Herbert Gears.

25 April 2009: The month of April ended with the grand opening of the new 36,000 square-foot Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre Nashville.  The opening of the new Church building in Music City USA, an historical landmark, was again led by Mr. Miscavige and joined by scores of local dignitaries, residents and visiting artists totaling over 3,000 guests.

24 October 2009:  In October, more than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome. The 69,000-square-foot Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. Mr. David Miscavige welcomed parishioners to their new home. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

31 October 2009:  One week later, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, originally established in 1955 by Scientology Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, opened its new premises six blocks from the White House and minutes from the Capitol Mall.  Attended by nearly 3,000 Scientologists and guests, the celebration was presided over by Mr. David Miscavige. The newly acquired and fully restored 49,000-square-foot historical building now represents the largest Scientology presence in DC in Church history.  Its grand opening now brings the Church of Scientology’s presence in the nation’s capital to three very important properties:  The new Embassy Building providing all Church services for parishioners of Washington DC; the original Founding Church premises where L. Ron Hubbard personally worked, now fully restored and open to the public as a heritage property of the Church’s history; and the Church’s well-known Fraser Mansion at DuPont Circle which will now become the Church’s National Affairs Office.

The Church of Scientology looks to 2010 for further unprecedented growth, with greater expansion and success in ministering to its parishioners and their communities than ever in its history.

This year has marked the greatest expansion in Scientology’s history. The Church looks to 2010 for even greater success with scores of new Churches and Advanced Organizations on the horizon.  New Churches are scheduled to open in Pasadena, California; Inglewood, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Seattle, Washington; Harlem, New York; Portland, Oregon; Twin Cities, Minnesota; Boston, Massachusetts; Cincinnati, Ohio; Quebec, Canada; Mexico City, Mexico; Tel Aviv, Israel; Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Additionally and most significantly, the doors will open to the newly constructed 375,000-square-foot Church serving as spiritual headquarters for the religion, located in Clearwater, Florida.

Most importantly, 2010 will bring the completion of a decades-long project to restore and make available the complete library of Mr. Hubbard’s works, including hundreds of his over 3,000 recorded lectures never heard beyond his original audience.

For more information, high-resolution still photos and video footage please contact Church of Scientology International Public Relations Department.

Three thousand Scientologists and guests attended the dedication and opening of the new Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, October 31, 2009.  The ribbon was pulled by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, and other distinguished guest speakers.

Thousands attended the dedication and opening of the new home of the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, DC.  Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige presided and public officials praised the Church of Scientology for their work in human rights, criminal reform, anti-drug and disaster relief efforts.

Washington, DC - On Saturday, October 31, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, opened its new premises six blocks from the White House and minutes from Capitol Mall.  Attended by nearly 3,000 Scientologists and guests, the Church was dedicated by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion.

The building, over 49,000 square feet, represents the Church of Scientology’s largest presence ever in the nation’s capital, a presence that dates back to the 1955 establishment of the Founding Church of Scientology in the District by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard-an occasion considered a milestone in the establishment of Scientology as the only major religion founded in the 20th century, a religion that has since become the fastest-growing religion in the world.

Mr. Miscavige and other speakers gave special praise to the millions of Scientologists world over who have given of their time and effort to make the Church’s anti-drug education initiative the largest non-governmental program of its kind and the Church’s human rights education program the largest on earth. They also praised the work of over 195,000 registered Scientology Volunteer Ministers trained to respond in times of disaster.

In expressing the importance of a prominent Scientology Church in the nation’s capitol Mr. Miscavige stated:

“In a word, this Church is the sum total of all our history and all LRH envisioned when serving as our first Executive Director.

“This is also the kind of Church he envisioned when authoring our programs and campaigns-in anticipation of a day when turmoil knocks out the props and the whole social veneer collapses…

“Which, of course, is exactly what happened-and thus what prompted our Wake-up Call after 9/11…wherein our history intersects with the history of this nation.”

Yet the significance of a major Church of Scientology in Washington, DC, runs much deeper as Mr. Miscavige made clear:

“You are looking at a living embodiment of the freedom and equality that originally inspired this nation because, yes, this Church stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  And, yes, it stands here today because of the freedom on which this nation was built-the freedom of religion.  For it was here, in this nation’s capital, that we fought for and won our recognition.”

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the dedication and opening of the new Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, October 31, 2009.   

And in the words of Congressman Brad Sherman of California’s 27th District in his address to the gathering:

“I have worked diligently and continuously to express my views, and I believe the views of the entire Congress, that all countries should treat all religions equally and provide true freedom of religion for everyone.”

Congressman Sherman praised the Church’s efforts in raising awareness of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and stated that the battle for human rights includes bringing human rights awareness to all people.

“That is why the efforts of many churches and religious organizations to focus on human rights issues are so important.”

Others speaking and participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Ms. Addie Richburg, President and Chairman of the Board of the National Alliance of Faith and Justice; Ms. Diane Rothe-Smith, Executive Director of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD); and Mr. Mike Silverstein, President of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Association who also represented District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Rev. Sylvia Stanard, Director of Public Affairs for the Founding Church, invited all inside to tour the new Church, which includes numerous multimedia presentations in its Public Information Center, describing fundamentals of the Scientology religion, the Church’s worldwide humanitarian and social betterment programs, and the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard.   As in any Church of Scientology, the doors are always open for people to walk in and find out for themselves.

The dedication ceremonies of the new Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, October 31, 2009, were opened with a brass band fanfare.  Guest speakers including local and national dignitaries acknowledged the Church’s human rights and social betterment achievements. 

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Washington, DC, played a pivotal role in the life of the Founder of the Scientology religion.  At age 13, as America’s youngest Eagle Scout, L. Ron Hubbard traveled cross-country to meet President Calvin Coolidge. As a student at George Washington University in the early 1930s, Mr. Hubbard learned the scientific methodology he later applied to unlocking the riddle of the human mind and life. After World War II, he tested Dianetics techniques on numerous cases at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital and wrote the first manuscript of his discoveries in Dianetics: The Original Thesis.  In 1955, he established the Founding Church and became its Executive Director.

The Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations. As part of the continuing program to meet the demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York and San Francisco. Earlier this year, new Churches opened in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee and October 24, in Rome-five new landmark Scientology Churches opened newly in the last six months.

Thousands attend grand opening of new Church in Rome;
All invited to find out for themselves “What is Scientology?”

More than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district Saturday, October 24, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome.

The 6,400-square-meter Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

Signifying the stature and prominence of this new Church, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige, welcomed parishioners to their new home in the historical crossroads of Western civilization.  Speaking of what inspired every Scientologist to make this new Church possible, he stated:

“How on earth can one possibly speak of history without a nod to Rome?  This City of God, this City of Man, this center of the Western world for at least a thousand years - if ever a place was destined for an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s here.  For what better arena to show what Scientology can do than this age-old religious empire?”

Among those participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Dino De Pasquale, Disaster Manager of the Civil Protection Agency; Professor Silvio Calzolari of the Theological Faculty at the Vatican University in Florence; Professor Luigi Berzano, Professor of Sociology of Religions at the University of Turin; and Ms. Laura Guercio, President of Legal Aid Worldwide.

The new home for the Church of Scientology of Rome is a contemporary building that has undergone extensive remodeling to accommodate all Scientology religious services, the many community activities of Church members, and introductory services for visitors.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent interactive multimedia exhibit containing more than 230 films covering the Church’s beliefs, practices and activities. Along with descriptions of Scientology principles and information on the life and accomplishments of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the displays also cover the Church-sponsored international social programs that effectively combat drug abuse, illiteracy, criminality, immorality and human rights violations. The Church’s doors are open to anyone to take self-guided tours through the Public Information Center to find out about Scientology for themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Rome will coordinate the social betterment programs of the Church in Central Italy. With two decades of experience in drug prevention, its “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program provides proven solutions to one of the most pressing problems in Italian society.

In his dedication address,  Mr. Miscavige emphasized the importance of the Church’s social mission and stressed to the Scientologists in attendance the vital necessity of taking responsibility for the community in which they live:

“You owe [Rome] our salvage campaigns to eradicate drug abuse, instill a respect for human rights and provide basic technology for living through The Way to Happiness.
“You owe her our learning and literacy programs.
“You owe her a system of criminal reform based not on punishment, but the restoration of self-respect.
“You owe every addict a drug free life and every lost and hopeless soul the chance to discover something can be done about It.
“But most of all, you owe every Roman citizen an opportunity to discover Dianetics and Scientology…”

The new Church of Scientology in Rome represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations.  As part of the continuing program to meet the increasing demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere.  This year alone, new Churches have opened in Malmo, Sweden, Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
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Video footage and additional photographs of the Church of Scientology of Rome dedication are available to media upon request. Please call Media Relations at (323) 960-3500 or email mediarelations@scientology.net.

The Church of Scientology Mission of Los Feliz hosts new Dianetics seminars. 

The Church of Scientology Mission of Los Feliz in Los Angeles held its first new Dianetics Seminar on September 17.  This new seminar is based on the How to Use Dianetics DVDs, released in June by David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion.  Those attending learned enough in just a few hours to put Dianetics technology to immediate use.

The application of Dianetics techniques is called auditing, from the Greek word audire—to listen.  “It’s so great knowing that I now have the know-how to help someone in a way that they probably never felt was possible,” said one attendee.  “And it is so easy!”

Attendees described the experience as “amazing,” “life changing,” and “an absolute pleasure.”

The How to Use Dianetics DVD has revolutionized the application of Dianetics.  This two-disk DVD set is a step-by-step, visual guide to Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health by L. Ron Hubbard. It contains 18 short films comprising four and a half hours of information illustrating specific Dianetics principles and techniques, making it easy for anyone to understand and use Dianetics.  The first one and a half hour-long DVD is the basis of the new Dianetics Seminar, available in Scientology Churches and Missions in cities around the world.

When they arrived at the Los Feliz Mission on Saturday morning, those attending the seminar watched the first DVD.  As they completed each section, the seminar leader led attendees in a discussion of the principles they had just learned.  And after a break for lunch the real fun began—the Los Feliz seminar attendees were eager, confident and ready to apply Dianetics techniques to one another.

Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health was first published in 1950. The DVD gives many graphic examples of the discoveries L. Ron Hubbard documented in the book, including the existence of the “engram”—a complete recording, down to the last accurate detail, of every perception present in a moment of partial or full “unconsciousness.”

“It was amazing—being able to experience the phenomena of an engram for myself,” said one seminar attendee.  “Giving and receiving the sessions was really great,” said another, who came to the seminar with a friend and described being able to help him with Dianetics as “awesome”.

The Church of Scientology Mission of Los Feliz is located at 1934 Hillhurst Avenue in Los Angeles, California.  For more information, visit its web site at www.missionoflosfeliz.com.  To learn more about Dianetics and the How to Use Dianetics DVD visit the Dianetics web site at www.dianetics.org.

The Church of Scientology YouTube Channel is releasing 50 new “Meet a Scientologist” testimonial videos, featuring documentary video clips of Scientologists from various professional backgrounds, their stories about what Scientology is, and how practicing Scientology religious beliefs has impacted their lives.

The Church of Scientology International is launching a series of testimonial videos on its official YouTube Channel called “Meet a Scientologist,” which showcase the lives and careers of everyday Scientologists. YouTube users will be able to view 50 videos to start, with 100 more videos scheduled to follow in the upcoming months as part of the Church’s continuing efforts to expand its presence in the world’s largest online video community.

The “Meet a Scientologist” videos, which were shot on location, focus on individual Scientologists who explain how the religion has helped them, whether by teaching effective communication skills, learning to be confident in their abilities, or generally improving their life. Videos highlight members of Scientology from all over the world and all kinds of professions, including doctors, educators, inventors, athletes, actors, musicians, students, photographers, business owners and more.

These new videos are based on one of the core principles of the Scientology religion. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology, discovered that understanding is composed of affinity, reality and communication. With the conviction that this applies to any aspect of life, the Church of Scientology seeks to increase understanding of Scientology and Scientologists by applying this principle to online video, while at the same time, providing information through personal stories.

A pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first religion to create its own official YouTube Video Channel in April 2008, with 82 broadcast-quality videos comprising nearly three hours of content in a unique video player. To date, it has been seen by over 2 million visitors. The Church of Scientology has also launched an online public information campaign with 30 and 60-second flash presentation conveying the essence of Scientology. These spots address the most fundamental questions people ask about life–questions for which Scientology has effective answers.

To watch the new “Meet a Scientologist” videos, visit the Scientology Video Channel on YouTube at video channel at http://www.youtube.com/ChurchofScientology.

The Church of Scientology of Tampa held a new kind of Dianetics seminar. The results were nothing less than spectacular.

The Church of Scientology of Tampa held a Dianetics seminar this weekend, to rave results.  In fact, this was one of the first of an entirely new kind of Dianetics seminar—a kind just announced at an international Scientology event.

Each summer, every Scientology church and mission holds events on four consecutive weekends.  Each features a televised speech by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center, on Scientology activities, Church expansion and the religion’s humanitarian campaigns.

This year, one of these events featured news about Dianetics, and released a brand new Dianetics Seminar, predicted to bring about a Dianetics boom even greater than the one inspired by the original publication of Dianetics almost 60 years ago.

The word “Dianetics” means “what the soul is doing to the body through the mind,” and traditionally, a Dianetics Seminar is a weekend-long activity by the end of which attendees get their first taste of what Dianetics can do for them and how they can use it to help themselves and others.

Dianetics counseling is called “auditing” from the Latin word “audire”—to listen—and Dianetics seminars involve “co-auditing” which stands for cooperative auditing.  In other words, the attendees are divided into groups of two, and those two people learn how to use Dianetics and go back and forth helping each other with Dianetics procedures all weekend.

But while this seminar followed that same traditional format, and all the attendees paired up to help each other, at that point the similarity to past Dianetics seminars ended, as the new format brings the weekend-long event soundly into the 21st Century.

The centerpiece of the new seminar is a DVD that presents what Mr. Miscavige described as “Dianetics from A to Z in a fashion that was not even conceivable just a few years ago.”

Using the latest audio-visual and special effects technology, in one and a half hours the DVD presents the essential concepts of Dianetics, and gets the person ready for auditing.  Attendees gain so much understand of Dianetics that they know exactly what to do and are ready to do it!

As soon as this new type of Dianetics seminar was announced, people from all around the Tampa Bay area called in and signed up.  And early on Saturday morning, the 18th of July 2009, they started pouring in to the Church of Scientology of Tampa to get their first taste of Dianetics.  Held both in English and Spanish the seminar got its attendees excited from the start.

One attendee said she finally understands why she has always been so fearful.  One man, after four hours of Dianetics counseling, hugged the supervisor on his way out, stating, “I feel like you gave me ‘me’ back.  I am finally able to be myself.” After his first Dianetics session, another man described the experience as “empowering.” He wants to become a professional auditor now, to bring Dianetics to his country in Africa and help his people.

One man discovered the source of his fear of heights and overcame it fully.  A woman found two incidents in her past that were making her feel “crazy” and had ruined her life for the last 26 years.  “All my life I felt like a failure,” wrote another attendee, “but my fears were addressed through auditing.”

In Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, L. Ron Hubbard described Dianetics as “an adventure.  It is an exploration into Terra Incognita, the human mind, the vast and hitherto unknown realm half an inch back of our foreheads.”  He goes on to say, “Your are beginning an adventure.  Treat it as an adventure.  And may you never be the same again.”

For those who participated in the first new Dianetics seminar at the Church of Scientology of Tampa, that adventure has truly begun.

Dianetics “Bookathons” bring help to people in countries around the world.

First published in 1950, Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health  is the best selling self-help book of all time.  And at Dianetics “Bookathons,” Scientologists set up tables and booths in parks, at fairs and right on the street and introduce people to Dianetics in countries all over the world.

Dianetics “Bookathons” are worldwide action days where Scientology church and mission staff and volunteers help people locate the points of stress in their lives. The word “Dianetics” means “what the soul is doing to the body through the mind,” and these “stress tests” show people how Dianetics can help them deal with the source of their problems.

Since New Years 2009, when David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center announced the release of the new paperback edition of Dianetics and 8 other Dianetics and Scientology titles of L. Ron Hubbard in 50 languages, a virtual Dianetics boom has exploded.

From New York to Nepal and Lithuania to Los Angeles, people want to know what makes them tick.  And from Norway to New Zealand and Brazil to the Balkans they are learning the answers.

In Russian and Greek, Swahili and Arabic, people are learning that painful experiences of the past have an effect on the present.  In Macedonian and Tagalog, Urdu and Portuguese they are discovering why they make the same mistakes over and over again. Norwegian students and Thai monks are finding out what causes their self-doubt and unhappiness. And Hungarian factory workers and Indonesian healthcare professionals are learning how to achieve their full potential.

In the last three months alone, thanks to Dianetics Bookathons in 2,602 locations on 5 continents, more than half a million new copies of books by L. Ron Hubbard are now in the hands of people who are looking for solutions.

For more information visit the web site of Bridge Publications and New Era Publications, publishers of the books of L. Ron Hubbard

- The Church’s property holdings internationally have more than doubled in the last 5 years. The combined size of Church premises increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to 11 million square feet in 2009.

- The Church has acquired 66 buildings since 2004 in major population centers around the world.

- The Church has completed 401,003 square feet of construction of new premises in the last 5 months. It currently has under construction another 475,887 square feet, including Churches in Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Quebec, Mexico City, Brussels, Rome and Tel Aviv.

- There are 8,071 Scientology Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations, double the number five years ago.

- 80 million L. Ron Hubbard books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology have been sold in the last decade, compared to 5.6 million in the prior decade, and 60 of that 80 million have been sold in the last two years-more than during the first 50 years of Dianetics and Scientology combined.

- The number of individuals completing auditing and training has doubled since 2007.

- Since the Church undertook to publish and reproduce its scriptural materials in-house in 2007, the average price of Mr. Hubbard’s books and lectures sold has decreased dramatically.

- There were 12.4 million visitors to the Scientology website in the last year alone coming from 234 countries, with 23 million video views.

- 4.5 million pages of L. Ron Hubbard’s writings have been translated in the last 10 years alone compared to a total of 359,459 for the prior 50 years, making him the most translated author in history-according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

- Today there are 196,000 Scientology Volunteer Ministers worldwide-there were 45,000 in 2004. Volunteer Ministers helped over 1.4 million people in the last year alone, a 300% increase over the 2004 figure of 550,000 people helped.

Staff and volunteers of the Church of Scientology of Malmö take to the streets to share the good news about Dianetics with their community

Malmö-Since its grand opening in April, staff and members of the Church of Scientology of Malmö have been introducing their neighbors in the greater Malmö area to Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, and its potential for bringing about important reforms and improvements in the city.

First published in May 1950, this perennial bestseller has even more relevance today than it did 59 years ago. And nowhere more so than in the greater Malmö area.

The people of Malmö face enormous challenges. According to one recent article, unemployment in the Rosengaard district of the city is 70 percent, crime affects one of every three Malmö families each year and the number of rapes has tripled over the past 20 years.

The first step in changing any situation is understanding the underlying causes of the problem. In addition to revealing why people act the way they do and how to dramatically improve the quality of life on a one-on-one basis, Dianetics also “embraces the conditions and processes of leadership and intergroup relations,” explaining how groups, cultures and even nations become irrational. It goes on to state, “There is no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone.”

L. Ron Hubbard wrote Dianetics so that anyone could read it and easily learn techniques to help people overcome the most unwanted conditions in their lives. In addition to making this book broadly available, the Church of Scientology of Malmö offers Dianetics Seminars courses and profession training at its new headquarters at Sockerbruksgatan 2, Arlöv, 23 235 Malmö.

For more information, contact the Church of Scientology of Malmö or visit the Dianetics web site.

Nashville—Last Thursday members of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre of Nashville got down and dirty downtown to clean up the banks of the historic Cumberland River.

The state spends 11 million dollars of taxpayer money annually picking up trash Tennessee litterbugs leave behind. Members of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre joined thousands of other Music City volunteers to do something effective and upgrade the image of their city.

“We think it is very important to join community efforts to make sure Nashville is a nice place to live,” said Julie Forney, spokesperson for the Scientology Celebrity Centre. “L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, emphasized the importance of safeguarding and improving the environment. Scientologists take this to heart and we are proud to be part of this program.”

This year Nashville is one of three cities chosen to showcase the Keep America Beautiful project, a volunteer-based community action and education organization whose mission is to engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. More than 1.5 million Tennessee volunteers participated in Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup last year, making the program one of the largest community activities in the state.

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre of Nashville held a spectacular ribbon cutting ceremony to signal the opening of their new quarters in Music City’s Fall School Building. Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, is now home to a very special new Scientology church as well.

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion, once said, “The world is carried on the backs of a desperate few.” Because these desperate few are often the most neglected, Mr. Hubbard saw to the formation of Celebrity Centres—special Scientology churches, such as the new church in Nashville, that cater to artists, politicians, leaders of industry, sports figures and anyone with the power and vision to create a better world.

But the Celebrity Centre of Nashville is also open to the general public seven days a week, offering everything from weddings, Sunday service and naming ceremonies to ministerial training and life improvement courses. Introductory courses cover a wide range of subjects from overcoming relationship problems, learning difficulties, and stress at work to improving communication skills and raising children.

This spectacular new church in Nashville is just one reflection of the unprecedented growth of the Scientology religion, which now offers service in nearly 8,000 churches and groups across 164 nations.

Each church is dedicated to achieving the Aims of Scientology: “A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where Man is free to rise to greater heights.”

Nashville Scientologists carry out their social mission through volunteer work to combat drug abuse and addiction. “We’ve been getting the word out about the dangers of drugs,” said Brian Fesler, the Church’s Director of Public Affairs. “In the past few weeks we’ve passed out thousands of booklets which cover the truth about drugs and the harm they cause.”

The Church also has an active Scientology Volunteer Ministers group, which carries out community service projects and provides emergency response and disaster relief.

The Fall School Building, the Church of Scientology’s new home in Nashville, is an historical landmark. Built in 1898 in a similar style to the legendary Ryman Auditorium, a prominent Nashville landmark erected six years earlier, the 36,000 square foot facility served the area as a public school until 1970. The Church purchased the building in 2007. Many of its original features were preserved, including the hardwood floors, doors and stairwells and eight solid wood pillars capped with iron that support a central three-story atrium.

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre of Nashville welcomes visitors seven days a week from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays and from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekends. For more information on the Church and its programs, visit www.scientology-ccnashville.org or call (615) 320-5550.

The Church of Scientology of Dallas recently opened its new home to parishioners, dignitaries and their guests, with Texas cowboy fanfare and an invitation to all to find out for themselves the answer to the often-asked question, “What is Scientology?”

On a sunny and breezy Saturday afternoon, the Church of Scientology, in the Las Colinas community of the city of Irving, welcomed more than a thousand dignitaries and visitors to the grand opening of its new Church of Scientology.

“We are very happy about our move to Irving,” said Dallas Church President Mr. Arlo Ihrig. “This central location makes it possible for us to reach out to more communities and to extend our help across a broader range of demographics in Dallas county and beyond.” The Church of Scientology of Dallas supervises Scientology activities for northern Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The new Church of Scientology of Dallas represents more than four decades of growth of Scientology in Texas since the first Church of Scientology was founded there in 1967.

The new Church of Scientology of Dallas is a reflection of the world scope of Scientology today, which comprises nearly 8,000 churches, missions and groups across 164 nations. Each is dedicated to achieving the Aims of Scientology, as expressed by its founder, L. Ron Hubbard: “A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where Man is free to rise to greater heights.”

The Church of Scientology of Dallas welcomes visitors seven days a week from 9:00 am to 10:30 pm and provides walk-in or scheduled tours at any time. For more information on the Church and its programs call (214) 524-5300 or visit its web site at www.scientology-dallas.org or the official Scientology web site.

ARLÖV - The Church of Scientology of Malmö opened its new home with an invitation to all to find out for themselves the answer to the often asked question, “What is Scientology?” Thousands of parishioners and dignitaries attended.

The new church not only provides greatly expanded facilities for religious training, services and counseling, it also enables the Church to bring Scientology’s international social reform and betterment programs to the city on a much larger scale.

“Our doors are open to everyone,” said the Malmo Church’s president, Stig Andersson. “We want everyone to come in, tour our exhibition or attend an open house and find out for themselves who we are and what we do.”

The new Church of Scientology of Malmö represents four decades of growth in Sweden. A group of students from Lund University founded the first Church of Scientology in Sweden in 1969.

The new Church of Scientology of Malmö is a reflection of the rapid expansion of Scientology today. Each of Scientology’s nearly 8,000 churches, missions, and groups, active in 164 nations, is dedicated to achieving the Aims of Scientology — a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights.

The Church of Scientology of Malmö offers tours seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information on the Church and its programs, visit www.scientology.org or call +46 (0)40 537580.

Church of Scientology in London, England

Church of Scientology of London, England (Contact Information)

Church of Scientology of Madrid, Spain

Chapel of the Church of Scientology New York

In the five decades since the founding of the first Church of Scientology in 1954, Scientology has become the fastest-growing religion in the world.Today, its scope extends across 156 countries, with 7,500 churches, missions and groups serving millions of parishioners in 53 languages.

From Los Angeles to Tokyo to London, our churches introduce more than 600,000 people each year to the breakthrough discoveries L. Ron Hubbard made on the spirit and life, not taking into account the hundreds of thousands helped through the social betterment activities and community programs the Church forwards.

As Scientology services are built upon a graduated scale of spiritual awareness, parishioners of the religion begin with introductory services and advance to higher levels. Similarly, there are different levels of Scientology churches that mirror this graduated scale — from those that solely deliver introductory courses to Advanced Organizations, which deliver the upper level services.

Every Church of Scientology, no matter the services it provides, is dedicated to achieving the aims of Scientology: “A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights.”

Scientology Church Tours & Galleries :

• Church of Scientology London
• Church of Scientology New York