Annual Report 2007-2008
From the Partner Church Committee
Unitarian Church of Gyepes, Romania
Committee Members: Barbara Trentacosta (Chair), Isabel Denham (Treasurer), Ann Swardlick, Marie Wendt, Nan Hughes, Karen McEntee, Jenn McAdoo, Lisa Williams.
Background: The international partnership between First Universalist in Yarmouth and the Unitarian Church of Gyepes, Romania began in 1991. The mission of the partnership is to celebrate our shared liberal religious faith and to promote peace and understanding by strengthening this connection to our Unitarian roots. Our activities endeavor to, first and foremost, promote and support face-to-face, intercultural exchanges; we strive to strengthen our friendship by sharing goals and dreams, challenges and accomplishments in our congregations.
This year, individuals from our congregation sponsored 6 young people from Gyepes attending high school; $1500 was sent to assist these students with room and board. Two of the students are graduating with high school diplomas this June, thanks in no small part to the financial support our members generously provide. We are told that, without this support, many young people would have had to drop out of school to help with the family farming.
The Gyepes church community received a handmade quilted wall hanging with an image of our church; this was carried over by Sarah Dorer from Bedford, who was going over to participate in the youth summer camp in Szentmarten. Sarah returned with handmade weavings and aprons from Gyepes which we sold at the Holiday Fair. The income ($125) was sent to the Gyepes craftswomen.
We continue to support projects in Gyepes whenever possible. Renovations continue on the parish house where Rev. Zoltan Gal now resides. We sent $700 to Rev. Zoltan to help pay for the work that needs to be done; he recently reported that the carpenter’s work proceeds slowly: the bathroom is almost ready, the kitchen still needs work, and the septic system is incomplete.
We celebrated the partnership on March 18 during the fellowship hour. We erected a traditionally painted Transylvanian gate in the vestry and also displayed our beautiful new brochure describing the partnership. More handicrafts from Gyepes were sold and the funds ($155) sent over to Gyepes.
Although no travel exchanges between Gyepes and Yarmouth occurred this year, we are hopeful that individuals from our Yarmouth congregation can make the journey in the future.
We encourage new members to join this active committee and help shape this congregation-to-congregation alliance. |
