UUCA’S PARTNER CHURCH IN ROMANIA

The UUA Partner Church Council was formed in 1990 to help foster a cultural, spiritual, and economic bond between American congregations and "partner" churches in Transylvania. Today more than 150 UU congregations in North America are partnered with similarly sized churches throughout Eastern Europe.

Unitarianism traces its institutional roots to 16th Century Transylvania when the radical theologian, Francis David, converted the King of Transylvania, John Sigismund, and much of the population to the idea of one God, with Jesus as the model of human perfectibility.

The Unitarian Church received its first state recognition in 1569 when the King issued his historic edit of religious tolerance at the Diet of Torda. From that day forward, Unitarianism has been consistently practiced in Transylvania, a region of Romania since its annexation from Hungary at the end of World War I.

Today, despite centuries of persecution, there are nearly 100,000 Unitarians living in the Transylvania region of Romania. Under the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the Hungarian community in general, and church-going people in particular, were singled out and brutally oppressed. Unitarian ministers and bishops were imprisoned, buildings confiscated, and congregations driven underground. Ceausescu remained in power for 22 years, until December 1989, when the Romanian people rose in armed revolt and drove him from power in a brief, albeit bloody struggle.

The Mid-South district currently has 5 active partnerships, Athens/Ockland, Northwest/Udvarhely, Marietta/Kede, Gwinnett/Kolozs, and Atlanta/Udvarhely . UUCA was an early participant in the program, and, under the leadership of Carroll Payne, helped the Unitarians of Szekelyudvarhely restore their church building and parsonage. The "phoenix rising" banner of UUCA is today prominently displayed in the sanctuary in Carroll's honor.

PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A SUSTAINING PARTNER

Thank you for your interest in our Unitarian Partner Church in Szekelyudvarhely, Romania. In a country where the average wage is slightly less than $100 per month, and the elderly survive on much less, even modest amounts of money can have a dramatic impact on the quality of life.

The Partner Church Council of UUCA has set a goal of raising $4,500 in matching funds for the Unitarian Church of Szekelyudvarhely. This money will allow our Partner Congregation to fund capital improvements and to conduct their own social outreach programs among the elderly poor.

Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member of UUCA's Partner Church Council. Your contribution of $25 or more will help our Unitarian brothers and sisters in Romania in their struggle against desperate poverty and ethnic strife.

 SEE SLIDES FROM TRANSYLVANIA TRIP 2006: CLICK HERE

WILMAJEAN NIPPER'S INGATHERING THOUGHTS ON "GATHERING '99"

As our ingathering time approaches, I am thinking of the gathering of which I was a part a few weeks ago in Szekelyudvarhely. In early August, I again traveled to Transylvania to visit with Rev. Kedei and his family, the congregation of our partner church and to attend a great outdoor gathering of Unitarians from Transylvania, from Europe, and from America. The purpose of this gathering was to honor David Ferenc and his founding of the Unitarian faith in 1568. To be present when this tradition was begun again after so many dark years of communist oppression was a very moving experience.

The program consisted of major addresses by Bishop Dr. Arad Szabo, all the district deans, including Rev Kedei who was also the host for this event, representatives of European Unitarians, United Kingdom Unitarians, our UUA and the Partner Church Council. There were also remarks from regional civic and governmental leaders. Hymn singing was interspersed among the various messages. (All ethnic Hungarian Unitarians knew the hymns from memory.) All the messages were translated into English at the time of speaking.

I was asked by Rev. Kedei to read a letter that Edward had written for the occasion. This was so gracious of him, to ask me to participate in the program in this way. It was one of the high points of my life – to be present when this tradition, this celebration of free religious thought, was begun again after so many dark years of communism, to represent my congregation, my minister, and my country.

Then came the folk music, the folk dancing, the dramatic readings, the epic poetry, choruses, and choirs. There was a dedication of a new carved wooden memorial unveiled by Bishop Dr. Szabo, placed in front of the platform area, a closing address by the close associate of the Bishop, Rev. Balogh Ferenc.

The last public event was a parade lead by a band, from the platform area up the hillside, through a series of Szekely gates to the stone and wood memorial dedicated to the memory of Orban Balazs, a much-revered philosopher and poet born in Szekelyudvarhely. All the ministers carried wreaths, which were to be placed at the base of the memorial.

It was a monumental gathering; however, I am not suggesting that we try to duplicate it as I doubt if any of us would stand on a hillside for three or four hours as these folks did.

A REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION

Barbara, Avery, and I are back from 10 wonderful days with UUCA's Partner Congregation in Szekelyudvarhely (say-kay-uudvar-hay), Romania. While we have spoken to some of you about the details of our visit, this article is an attempt to inform the wider UUCA community about our Partner Church, its people, their history, and their needs.

Background

As Rev. Kedei reminded us during his visit here, Unitarianism traces its roots to 16th Century Transylvania when the radical theologian, Francis David, converted the King of Transylvania, John Sigismund, and much of the population to the idea of one God, with Jesus as the symbol of human perfectibility. The Unitarian Church received its' first state recognition in 1569 when the King issued his historic edit of religious tolerance at the Diet of Torda. From that day forward, Unitarianism has been consistently practiced in Transylvania, a region of Romania since its annexation from Hungary at the end of World War I.

Today, despite centuries of persecution, there are nearly 100,000 Unitarians living in the Transylvania region of Romania. Under the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the Hungarian community in general, and church-going people in particular, were singled out and brutally oppressed. Unitarian ministers and bishops were imprisoned, buildings confiscated, and congregations driven underground. Ceausescu remained in power for 22 years, until December 1989, when the Romanian people rose in armed revolt and drove him from power in a brief, albeit bloody struggle.

The Unitarian Partner Church Council was formed in 1990 to help foster a cultural, spiritual, and economic bond between American Congregations and "partner" churches in Transylvania. UUCA was an early participant in the program, and, under the leadership of Carroll Payne, helped the Unitarians of Szekelyudvarhely restore their church building and parsonage. The "phoenix rising" banner of UUCA is today prominently displayed in the sanctuary in Carroll's honor.

The Town

Szekelyudvarhely sits in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains at the geographic center of Romania. With a population of 40,000 (6,000 of whom are Unitarians), it is the second largest town in the province of Harghita, and boasts a bustling and picturesque commercial center. The architecture runs the gamut from pastel cottages with their red tile roofs, to Soviet-era concrete monstrosities. Some 95% of the inhabitants are ethnic Hungarian, with the remainder made up mostly of Gypsies. The only Romanians in town we were told, are the police and the school teachers. There is a running debate in Romania about bilingual education that is strikingly similar in tone and content to that in the US.

The surrounding countryside is entirely agrarian, and uniformly beautiful. Picture Vermont with horse carts. Farming is still largely done by hand on small family plots, but the land is fertile enough to sustain this form of agriculture. Every evening we were treated to the sight of peasant families walking back to their villages, faces red from the sun, shouldering their scythes and rakes.

Current Situation

Life has improved gradually since 1989. Numerous restaurants and small shops have opened in Szekelyudvarhely, helping to buffer the unemployment brought on by the collapse of the state-run industrial sector. The Romanian currency, the leu, is virtually worthless (15,000 leu to the dollar) and continues to loose value, but there is a thriving barter economy. Even in town, most of the congregants we visited had large, well tended gardens and impressive caches of preserved foodstuffs.

The clear losers in this new economy are the elderly (the old-age pension is the equivalent of $30 per month) and the Gypsies. The social safety net that existed under Communism has largely evaporated, leaving those at the margins in desperate poverty. The memories of our visit to the Gypsy camp outside Szekelyudvarhely will surely haunt Barbara and I for years.

It is these constituencies that the Unitarian Church of Szekelyudvarhely wishes to serve by opening a soup kitchen in the social hall next door to the sanctuary. Already, the Kedeis, out of their own kitchen and pocket, informally feed a steady stream of people who appear unannounced at the rear of the parsonage where they are met by Delinke's mother, Irma, with bread, fruit and a kind word.

What can we do?

As an institution, UUCA can provide incremental, sustained funding. The Unitarian Church of Szekelyudvarhely operates on a yearly budget of $4,500. That includes salaries (Mozes and an elderly couple who serve as the groundskeepers are the only employees), utilities, and upkeep of the building. This for a congregation of 3000. The outpouring of support from the members of UUCA (and other Unitarian churches in Atlanta, notably NW) during the Kedei's visit, was heartwarming. The $2,000 that we raised through craft sales and donations has allowed the church to resume construction of a guest house for visiting Unitarians.

Unfortunately, sporadic infusions of cash, however needed and welcome, will not allow the church to staff for, and engage in, ongoing social outreach programs. UUCA should seriously consider a modest monthly allotment for our Partner Church as a part of this year's budget.

As individuals, we can establish personal connections. Everyone we met was hungry for contact with the West, particularly America. They were genuinely touched that there were Unitarians in America who knew their story and cared about their future. For those whose schedules and budgets allow, this is a fabulous trip. It's as close as we Unitarians have to a "Holy Land." For the past 4 years, UUA's Partner Church Council has organized a summer pilgrimage to Transylvania. Watch this space for more details.

For those whose travel plans are further off, consider becoming a pen-pal or joining UUCA's Partner Church Committee. To become involved, please contact Rich Cogburn at rcogburn@uuca.org.

Recipes

To learn more about the Partner Church movement, and how your gathering can become involved, go to Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council website.