 |
Partners in Transylvania Children of Partner Congregations become pen pals and sometimes make exciting trips to meet each other. by Betsy Hill Williams |
When you hear the name 'Transylvania,' you probably think of the vampire, Count Dracula. Dracula is from a famous story by Bram Stoker. Though Dracula is just a story, there really is a place called Transylvania.
Our story of Transylvania starts in the 1500's, when King John Sigismund was the ruler. He passed a law that let people in his country follow whatever religion they found most true. One of the religions that grew strong under this law was the Unitarian religion. Today about 200 North American Partner Churches are paired with a Transylvanian, Hungarian, or Czech Partner church. The children and youth of the two congregations send photos and videos and letters back and forth so they can "meet" each other and learn about how their lives and their churches are different. Sometimes the young people make very exciting visits to each other, traveling almost halfway around the world to meet one another in person and share their lives for a few weeks. The current issue of uu&me! has a lot more information about Transylvania, King John Sigismund, and the Partner Church Program. Ask an adult about getting a copy, or visit the homepage of the UU Partner Church Council to find out more about Transylvania, the Partner Church Program, and participating congregations. |
archives