Our Relationship with the Korond Congregation
The Partnership started in December of 2013. Rev. Fritts made the first visit in May of 2014, attending the May 25 Installation. Ideally, we hope to have visits from our Sarasota congregation once or twice a year. We also hope to receive enough donations of frequent flyer miles that we can bring persons from Korond to visit Sarasota.
Financial Relationship
One important -- but not necessarily the most important -- aspect of the relationship is our financial support. In April of 2014, we held a potluck-fund raiser and raised $1,000 we sent to the Partner Church as an undesignated gift. The Korond congregation will use the $1,000 to replace their mechanical clock device with a new electronic device to run the clocks on the four sides of the church tower. It will also insure that the bells in the tower will ring on the hour. The old device is 200 years old and beyond repair.
We will continue to raise money from fund-raisers organized by our Partner Church committee. In the future, the Korond congregation would appreciate scholarship support to send children to their summer camp.
Partner Church Committee
Our committee is small and we welcome additional members. If anything, you have learned here on the church's web page or discovered on the Unitarian Universalist Partner Church Council's web page http://www.uupcc.org/ interests you and you would like to join or help our committee, please contact Rev. Fritts. We would be glad of your company.
A Pilgrimage
If you would like to make a pilgrimage to our partner church in Transylvania, look at this web site http://www.uupcc.org/pilgrimages/pilgrimage-opportunities
What have other American Unitarian Universalists said about their visits?
“There were so many delights – the beautiful souls of the villagers, the Carpathian scenery, the aesthetics of the Unitarian churches, the communion cup of Francis David.”
“What I thought was going to be "a trip abroad" turned out to be a strong connection and spiritual appreciation of the history of my religion – life changing.”
“The trip exceeded my wildest dreams…I can’t say enough positive things about the experience.”
“We had a wonderful stay in our partner village. I was astonished at the hospitality of our hosts – overwhelming!”
“This trip quite seriously changed my life and the others who went on the trip for the better. I thought we would enjoy the trip, but I didn't expect that I would connect so deeply, powerfully with our partner church. We all just fell in love.”
The daughter of our partner church ministers walking on a hill above the village.
