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Dear Westminster Church Family and Friends,


Greetings from Budapest!


Mary Oliver wrote:


“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate.

Give in to it. Whatever it is,

don’t be afraid of its plenty.

Joy is not made to be a crumb.”

 

Friends, I’d like to share my joy with you – my visa was granted! I’ll be picking up my passport from the consulate on Monday. It is hard to put in words the relief I feel that this process is over, and I can now fully enjoy the last days with my family and cousins in Hungary. Then on Thursday, August 1st I’ll be flying back to the US.


Although I am in Hungary already (in the top photo you see the Chain Bridge and the Danube behind my brother and I), today I’d like to offer you glimpses of some amazing sites in the Carpathians around my region of birth.

The Biertan Fortified Lutheran Church

The village of Biertan in Romania

The village of Berethalom/Biertan/Brethälm (HU/RO/DE names) in the center of Transylvania was established by Saxons (people of ethnic German background in Transylvania) in the 13th century. The largest fortified Lutheran church in Romania—one of the earliest centers of the Protestant Reformation adorns the center of the village (visible behind my family in the photo). Fortifying walls were erected around many churches in the Middle Ages to protect people against the Tartar and then Ottoman invasions.

 

Most Saxons embraced Protestantism by mid 1500s. This church became the See of the Lutheran Church in Transylvania between 1572-1867. The Biertan Fortified Church is not only an incredible historic place to visit. It still is the home of a small Lutheran congregation, who worship in this space where some of the pews date back to the 1570s.


The altarpiece containing the image of feast days is a Pre-Reformation masterpiece of Transylvanian art and was painted in 1483 (first photo above).


Check out the pulpit high up on the column! It was placed there to amplify the sound of the preacher… AND to emphasize the centrality of the Word of God in worship and in the everyday life of the believer.

In the back of the courtyard, one finds the so called “Catholic Tower” where those Saxons from the community who did not embrace Protestantism could worship. I found it quite intriguing that at a time of zealous support for Protestant ideas, space was created for those who believed differently. In Transylvania, people holding diverging religious beliefs lived in close proximity in many communities and managed to work out how to live in the midst of this diversity with integrity and respect for one another. In fact, the Edict of Torda (Torda is nearby Transylvanian city) of 1568 is known as an unprecedented agreement in early modern Europe between representatives of the various religious and ethnic groups to uphold religious freedom for Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, and Unitarians (anti-Trinitarians).

The highest elevation in the southern Carpathian Mountains is over 8,000 feet. Close to that region stands this castle that you may know as the main Dracula castle (thanks to Enlish writer Bram Stoker whose gothic horror story of 1897 was associated with this place, even though there is no historic evidence that he knew this castle) – the Bran Castle or Törcsvár in Hungarian.


Another example of fortified castles, Törcsvár was built by Saxons under the order of King Louis I of Hungary in 1377. After the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, it was given to the Romanian Royal family, and it became the favorite resort of Queen Marie, the last Romanian queen before the communist takeover.

 

Because of the Dracula connection, the castle is a major tourist attraction. Even if the horror genre is not your favorite (it’s not mine), it is worth visiting the castle because this area is breathtakingly beautiful.

View from the top terrace of the castle.

The royal chamber.

Traditional stove covered with pottery - this one is in Saxon style.

A final note for today turning back to my hometown - On my last Sunday there, I attended worship in the church where I was baptized and confirmed. Reformed (and other historic) congregations are territorially organized in Romania. That means that the church of my childhood has 3,300 people on the rolls. However, about 200 attend worship regularly, except on big holidays like Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. The congregation is also grappling with questions about how to be church in the wider community in meaningful ways when so many grow up with no connection to the church.


The two associate pastors were leading worship and invited me to greet the congregation. I was able to share a little bit about our ministry here at Westminster and about our anniversary.


Westminster Church, we have a standing invitation to visit!

The Reformed Church of my childhood - current building built in 1781.

The newly renovated interior - Rev. Timea Soós preaching, the 2nd female minister of the church established in 1590 (!)

With the pastors - I am wearing the traditional wool woven cape of Reformed Calvinist pastors.

Friends, I continue to hold you in my prayers and miss seeing you. It is hard to believe that just a little over two weeks are left from my time here. I treasure the time I have with family and friends - like gathering to celebrate my aunt's birthday with cousins and their children.


I am grateful for your support and care, and will be in touch again next week.


Until then,


Grace and peace,


Pastor Enikö


Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 East Pine Street Wooster, Ohio  330-263-2398