A community of communities
October 22, 2024
A 160-acre plot of land the late Bishop Maurice Dingman purchased in 1983 for the refugee Hmong-Lao community to farm has a new purpose for drawing a diverse community together for faith and fun.
During most of the summer, the Hmong-Lao community grows corn, soybeans, and vegetables native to their homeland and sells them at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers' Market.
But for one day last year, the work paused as St. Ambrose Cathedral Parish celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Hmong-Lao farm and community center in Prairie City. Three hundred people came and enjoyed it so much, they wanted to do it again.
A second parish picnic was held there last month, drawing 400 people from multiple ethnic groups in the parish.
Now, the parish wants to make the gathering an annual event and they’re already planning on improvements for next year.
The cathedral parish has long been a hub for refugees trying to make their way in a new land. Seventy percent of the parish is comprised of refugees. In the 1970s, soldiers and their families who helped Americans during the Vietnam war came. In the early 2010s, the parish welcomed Sudanese, South Sudanese, Burmese, then Eritrean refugees.
The food at the picnic tells the tale. Traditional dishes from Sudan and South Sudan, Eritrean along with Burmese food and some from Lao was prepared.
“Three ladies each brought 200 egg rolls. They were gone in less than 15 minutes,” said Father Nivin Scaria, rector of the cathedral parish.
Table of food at the Hmong-Lao farm picnic
He sees the picnic as a means of bringing diverse groups of people together for faith, fellowship, and fun.
“We are celebrating the diversity of this parish. It’s a community of communities,” said Father Scaria.
The picnic is analogous to a story in the Bible. “In the Acts of the Apostles, they were speaking different languages but they heard the same message,” he said.
Madeleine Kelly was awed by the work the Zomi and other groups put into the successful event.
“It was really a delight. My husband and I were tickled that we got to go and see the great grandchildren play with their friends from school and join different groups. It was really very spiritual,” she said.
“All of us enjoyed something fun where we just take our time off from the parish and just have a place at the Hmong village where we pray, hang out, and eat a lot of delicious food,” said Dah Meh, of the Karenni ethnic community.
“I was very happy that the whole parish came to our farm,” said Lee Chao, of the Hmong community.
Various ethnic communities sang during Mass.
“It showed the universality of the Church,” said Martin Nawl, of the Zomi ethnic group. “Everyone can be Catholic.”
“This picnic was a lot better than last year’s picnic,” said Marin’s son, Charlie. “There were more people. Since we did it (last year), people are used to it and we could plan things better. People were communicating better, talking to each other.”
Michael J. Colosimo was in charge of the raffle.
“We got people to donate throughout the community,” he said. “I don’t want to stop because in the future I see it getting larger with more prizes and more opportunities for the parish to get involved.”
He praised the Knights of Columbus, who went to the farm to mow the lawn, set up chairs and tables and get things ready for the picnic.
It was a beautiful day, Colosimo said. After Mass, people ate, they had the raffle, a band played, and children learned how to fish, played volleyball, and more.
“They come together as a community for the purpose of honoring each other and honoring Jesus Christ,” he said. “I love that.”