From July 4—16, 2016, eight youth and 4 adults visited Transylvania (which is in Romania) to foster deeper understandings of our shared historical Unitarian roots as well as to enhance mutual understanding between co-religionists. The group participated in a Sunday service on July 10th, visited Kolozsvar, the city where the Unitarian Church has its headquarters, high school, and the church which houses the rock that the founder of Unitarianism, Francis David, spoke from when he “converted the whole town’s population to Unitarianism.” They spent eight days with ethnically Hungarian brother and sister Unitarians including two nights with families for the youth. At a four day camp, our youth, who are in the habit of conducting youth led vesper services, invited the Hungarian youth to participate and were pleased with the turn out. Games, discussions, horse cart rides, a service project and creating crafts all helped to create bonds which we expect to continue via electronic media (which was banned for UUSS youth during the visit, so that their full focus could be face-to-face). We were overwhelmed by the hospitality of our hosts and by all the planning they did that made the trip such a success.

Participants: Kira Whisenhunt, Eleanor Dagnall-Wise, Kamryn Almas, Tim Jordan, Charlie Jordan, Roger Temoshok, Sam Buczeksmith, Jack Cornett, Randy Jennings, Lisa Jordan, Nancy Buczeksmith, Lois Porter

Link to Slide Show of Participants

A Gift Plate from our Partner Church

Szekely Blessing
Where there is faith there is peace,
Where there is peace there is love,
Where there is love there is blessing,
Where there is blessing there is God,
Where there is God, there, there is no need.