Transylvania Partner Church Committee

  • Tiszta Szív Choir coming to Boston Saturday, September 17th
  • Latest News
  • 2010 Pilgrimage
  • The Partnership
  • Committee Mission and Goals

Tiszta Szív Choir coming to Boston Saturday September 17

We are a Transylvanian school choir from Kovászna. The choir was established in 1991 and our main goal is the performance of Hungarian and world compositions on stages both home and abroad. It does not matter what peoples or nationalities we perform to, it is the music itself that unite us, the experience and sharing its beauty. Our repertoire consists of religious and secular music, as well Hungarian folk songs, and compositions derived from these. Our tour in the US is about the love and friendship that emanate from music. Please join us for this wonderful event!

When: September 17, 2011 at 7:00pm
Where: Follen Community Church, 755 Massachusetts Avenue , Lexington, MA 02420
Suggested Donation: $10 adults, $ 5 children

 

2011 Summer Sermon

Livia Racz gave a sermon on August 7th, 2011 on the topic of oversees partnership. Click here for the text of her sermon.

Latest News

The Transylvania Partner Church Education Fund was established in 2001 by the Rev. Dr. Victor Carpenter and the Rev. Sándor Szentgyörgyi, ministers of First Church and Désfalva, respectively, in order to provide financial support to benefit high school and university students of Désfalva who could otherwise not attend school. Because there is no high school in the village, students must commute to or live in distant towns to continue their education, usually not in their own language, and must pay out of pocket for books, travel, room and board. The Fund provides each student a $250 annual stipend to help defray these expenses, and we plan to support 10 students next year. Your gift of any size will help First Church continue its critical role in funding this important program. Click here for the donation form.

2010 Pilgrimage

You can read our blog, look at our photos, and view a video  from the 2010 trip.

The Partnership

In 1990 First Church joined the Partner Church movement and was partnered with the Unitarian Church of Désfalva. Désfalva is a tiny farming village in the middle of Transylvania.  About a third of Désfalva’s residents are Unitarian. There are also Calvinist Reformed and Eastern Orthodox churches in the village. The primary language of the village is Hungarian. Désfalva also has Roma (Gypsy) families. Whatever their profession, everyone in the village must farm to provide basic needs.  Rev. Ferenc Bálint Benczédi was the minister of Désfalva at the time our partnership was formed; he is now the Bishop and resides in Kolozsvár. Our Minister of Music Alfa Radford met the Rev. Bálint Benczédi in Transylvania while on a choir tour in 1990, and the 2010 group had the honor of spending time with him both in Désfalva and in Kolozsvár.  Thus began and thus continue the pilgrimages between our two congregations.  We continue to offer each other mutual support and love as we journey through life sharing our Unitarian heritage.

Here’s a link for Désfalva’s website.

Here’s a link to a nice interview with Rev. Sándor Szentgyörgyi on Hungarian TV.

Here’s a link to an interview with Rev. Sándor Szentgyörgyi about the nearby village of Harangláb on Hungarian TV.

Committee Mission and Goals

Our partner church program is a journey in relationship.  The Transylvania Partner Church Committee (PCC) seeks to serve as a bridge between the Désfalva Unitarian church community and the First Church community through outreach, social action, personal contacts, and the sharing of the joys and concerns of our two congregations.   We seek to:

  • Provide support and outreach to the church and village of Désfalva through scholarships, support of education programs, relief for the poor, and special projects
  • Maintain regular communication between the Désfalva and First Church congregations
  • Encourage and facilitate the formation of personal relationships between members of our two congregations
  • Enrich First Church worship services and community through Transylvanian and Hungarian readings, food, music, art, and traditions.