Unitarians in Székely Land

The Unitarian Church was born in Transylvania and is still almost entirely Hungarian: 96 per cent of its members in Romania are Hungarian. In Székely Land they live mainly in the Homoród and Nyikó valleys and in Erdővidék – home to the famous churches of Székelyderzs, Énlaka, Homoródkarácsonyfalva and Nagyajta.

Where they live

Udvarhelyszék (Homoród and Nyikó valleys), Erdővidék

Church organisation

Hungarian Unitarian Church, episcopal seat: Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca)

Members

57,686 in Romania (2011), more than half of them in Harghita and Covasna counties

Beginnings

1568, the Diet of Torda; their first bishop was Ferenc Dávid

The legacy of Torda

Unitarians date the birth of their church to 1568 and the Diet of Torda, which proclaimed the freedom of preaching; their first bishop was Ferenc Dávid. Their teaching centres on the oneness of God – hence their creed: “God is one”.

For centuries the Székely congregations carefully maintained their medieval churches. This is how the fortified church of Székelyderzs, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its St Ladislaus murals of 1419, the mural cycle uncovered at Homoródkarácsonyfalva in 2006 and the church fortress of Nagyajta have survived.

Read more: the history of religious tourism

How to recognise the church

• The interior is plain: pulpit, communion table and gallery, with no altarpieces or statues.
• Many churches have painted coffered ceilings: at Énlaka there are 88 panels, including the runic inscription “God is one” from 1668.
• Medieval murals uncovered from under the plaster – often scenes from the St Ladislaus legend – are now preserved and displayed as heritage.
• Several churches are surrounded by fortified walls, and many stand on a hill above the village – such as those at Székelyderzs, Nagyajta and Énlaka.

If you attend a service

• The Sunday service is similar to the Reformed one: hymns, prayer and a sermon.
• The Lord’s Supper is served a few times a year. A distinctive Unitarian feast is the autumn thanksgiving, when thanks are given for the harvest and the Lord’s Supper is also served.
• In many village churches men and women sit apart; have a look around before you sit down.
• Most churches can be visited by prior arrangement; the minister’s office can tell you who holds the key.

Sites on Peregrinus

Further reading