By the time you read this article, a group of Eliot members and friends will be on a flight bound for Cluj, Romania to visit our Unitarian Partner Church, Nayaradszentmarton in Transylvania. We will be welcomed by their ministers, Revs. Sandor and Zsuzsana Kiss, and many members of the village who are looking forward to our visit. 

If you are new to Unitarian Universalism, our relationship with our Transylvanian siblings is a very strong one that has been tested by the winds of time. The Transylvanian Unitarians are the oldest Unitarian communities in the world, established in the late 1500s when King Sigismund of Transylvania declared an edict of tolerance for religious minorities. Our villages flourished and grew. But in 1948, Romania became part of the Soviet Eastern Bloc and we largely lost contact with them. This caused us and them much grief. We deeply missed each other.

When Romania became free in 1991, we quickly sought each other out to reestablish the connection. We learned that the Transylvania Unitarians struggled considerably during the Soviet era as a religious minority, and with the onset of democracy and the rise of Romanian nationalism, they also struggled as an ethnic minority. Transylvanian Unitarians are Hungarian. North American UU congregations began to partner with Transylvanian congregations to provide moral and financial support. We were partnered with Nayaradszentmarton. We are more than 30 years into this mutual relationship.

As internet connectivity allows, we’ll be posting pictures and anecdotes on the Eliot UUers Facebook page. I know that you’ll be with us in spirit and that we will hold you in our hearts as we share this precious time with our dear friends.

I will be back in the office Monday, October 7. Until then, be well and may blessings flow your way.

In faith and love,

Rev. Krista