From October 29-31, the European Unitarian Universalists (EUU) held its Fall Retreat in Mittelwihr, located in the Alsace region of France. Hosted by the UU Fellowship of Paris, UUA President Rev. Peter Morales attended as the theme speaker. Morales’ talk, entitled “Building a Religion Beyond Belief,” explored religion not as a set of beliefs but as what we love — including the role of religious community and the need to adapt to contexts. Text excerpts from the theme talk are available online. President Morales shared the following reflections from his trip:

I had the pleasure of speaking at the fall retreat of European UU’s in Alsace, France. Although I knew there were UU’s in Europe, I never imagined that 140 would attend a retreat. People came from France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Norway and beyond. One thing was obvious from the start: these UU’s treasure these opportunities to come together. A number of them are isolated and not part of any fellowship. For them, these gatherings are a religious home. I was delighted with the energy at the workshop I led and the outpouring of spirit at our Sunday worship service. I came away inspired by their commitment and dedication.

The next EUU retreat will take place April 1-3, 2011, in Spa, Belgium. Check the EUU website for updates on retreat details and registration.

EUU Retreat 2010 Photo credit: Rev. Dr. Richard Boeke