From Tom Darner:

We’ve had limited contact with our friends in Szentlaszlo, but here is what information we have received. People are staying home because of the virus in Romania, just as we are here.

As many of you know, Rev. Mihaly Kiss was the minister of the Unitarian church in Szentlaszlo for 40 years and is now retired. So we have known him and his family for these 30 years. Rev. Mihaly Kiss and his wife, Rozsa, have been visiting their daughter, Marta, and her husband, Istvan, who live in the Studio City area of Los Angeles. The Kiss’s have been there since March 1st and had planned to return to Szentlaszlo at the end of this month. But with circumstances as they are, they have decided to return home a week early. Sunday they flew from Los Angeles to London where they were met by their son-in-law. [Their daughter, Tunde, and her family live in Britain.] They hope to get a flight from London to Budapest and work their way home from there. We are glad to hear that all of the Kiss children and their spouses remain employed. Both Tunde and Csilla are nurses.

Some weeks ago, our partner church minister, the Rev. Szilamer Szilagyi, reported that he was holding confirmation classes with two youth and was holding a general youth gathering on Mondays for 8 youth. I suspect that has stopped now but I also suspect youth are figuring how to connect virtually just as we are. It is good to know that there is an active youth movement going on in Szentlaszlo. Church services and small group activities have been cancelled, just like here.

We’ve asked Rev. Kiss and Rozsa to assess the situation in Szentlaszlo and tell us what is going on, i.e. what needs are there that we can help with. As far as we know, the weekly loaves of bread are still being delivered to the elderly.

Vera Kelemen, who visited St. John’s some time ago, reports that she is staying at home with her kids while her husband continues to go to work.