Partner Church Visits

Members of First Unitarian have visited our Partner Church four times to date. All trips have been set up through the UU Partner Church Council, responsible for setting up all travel arrangements while in Transylvania. While each trip has been different, they all included the pilgrimage to the Transylvanian Historic Sites and the four days spent with our partner church where we are housed and fed with our host families. What makes each trip unique is the side trips to the various UNESCO Heritage Sites in Romania. Although Romania participated in both world wars, major battles did not take place in the country. As a result, the country’s cultural monuments and medieval sites were not damaged.

2006 Visit to Szentegyháza

In August of 2006, the UUPCC worked with First Unitarian to set up a pilgrimage to our selected partner church in Szentegyháza, Transylvania. Marida who was instrumental in pursuing the partnership program was unable to join the group on the trip. She did manage to go a week before us and acted as an ambassador to the group who followed. She is shown here singing with the congregation. Other members of the trip were Richard, Betty and Tom, Bob, Susan, Steve, Marilyn, and Janet.

The pilgrimage part of the trip began with visiting the National Unitarian Church in Kolozsvár, including the Unitarian Headquarters, high school and university. From there the trip included other Unitarian sites and interesting Transylvanian side trips before and after spending four days in the village of our proposed partner church in Szentegyhaza.

2012 Visit to Szentegyháza

Our second Trip was April of 2012 and the pilgrimage brought deeper meaning to our fellow travelers because we made connections with other Unitarians joining us on the same journey and the appreciation of the origins and history of our unusual faith community. We met travelers on our tour that came from other UU churches in the USA. Members of the First Unitarian Church travel group

included Nori, Betty and Tom, Anne and Dick, Phil and Marcia, and Janet.

The pilgrimage part of the trip began with visiting the National Unitarian Church in Kolozsvár, including the Unitarian Headquarters, high school and university. From there the trip included other Unitarian sites and interesting Transylvanian side trips before and after spending four days in the village of our partner church in Szentegyhaza.

2015 Visit to Szentegyháza

First Unitarian visited our partner church again in June of 2015. Members of the tour included Lily and Caroline (Grand-nieces of Betty), Nori, Betty, Joan and Rick, Hillary, Mary, Janet, and Tom. The 2015 trip to Transylvania was actually two trips in one. The pilgrimage part of the trip began with visiting the National Unitarian Church in Kolozsvár, including the Unitarian Headquarters, high school and university. From there the trip included other Unitarian sites. A large part of the trip was traveling through northern Romania just north of the Carpathian Mountains, a natural border that separates Transylvania from the rest of the country before spending four days in the village of our partner church in Szentegyhaza.

2019 Visit to Szentegyháza

In June of 2019, nine members of The First Unitarian Church of Providence took a fourth pilgrimage to our partner Church in Szentegyhaza. The travelers included, Rev. Liz, Cheryl and Neil, Richard, Betty and Tom, Odile and Peter, and Andrea. After the Sunday Service we were treated to a catered lunch in the pavilion and participated in a sing-a-long of Transylvanian favorites and American songs led by Neil on his guitar.

Like other trips, the pilgrimage part of the trip began with visiting the National Unitarian Church in Kolozsvár, including the Unitarian Headquarters, high school and university. From there the trip included other Unitarian sites and interesting Transylvanian side trips before and after spending four days in the village of our partner church in Szentegyhaza.