Phil and Anita Hemingway, longtime members of St. Mary Parish in Iowa City, relax during the parish’s Block Party Aug. 18.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
IOWA CITY — Each year in mid-August, the St. Mary of the Visitation Parish community gathers outdoors for a Block Party to celebrate faith and fellowship. “There is food, music, and yard games for all,” said Deacon Joe Welter, who serves the parish.
Organizers plan the Block Party around Aug. 15 to commemorate the parish’s anniversary and the feast day of its patron. This year’s event took place Aug. 18. The parish secures permission from the city to close Linn Street between the church and office building to set up tables and chairs for the free event. Yard games take up part of the church parking lot. “It’s been super fun,” said Rachel Santos, office administrator.
Parishioners assist in a variety of roles, including set up and clean up, food prep and service, music, advertising and lending tents and games. The Mater Dei African French Choir, composed of parishioners from various countries in Africa, performs each year, as do other local musicians. “We have had so much support from the parish community,” Deacon Welter said.
The parish began hosting the annual event in 2022 as a way to bring the diverse community together, he said. The parish offers a monthly Mass in French for its African community and a monthly Mass in Vietnamese. With the University of Iowa and its hospital so close, the parish often hosts visiting faculty and medical professionals from all over the world. “It is an amazing multicultural and multigenerational parish.”
