(OSV News) - An Iowa parish is working overtime to help its storm-battered community, providing food and aid to both body and soul, while assuring residents of God's presence even amid life's darkest moments.
On May 21, a tornado blasted through Greenfield, Iowa, a rural community some 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, killing an unspecified number of people and injuring at least a dozen.
The tornado was part of a storm system that battered Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the National Weather Service saying it had received reports of 23 tornadoes - 21 in Iowa and one in each of the other states.
Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla said that Greenfield's hospital had been damaged, with those hurt being diverted to other medical facilities. Dinkla also confirmed to media at a May 21 evening news conference that "that there have been fatalities," adding, "We're still counting at this time."
Father Philip Bempong, pastor of St. John Parish in Greenfield, told OSV News that to the best of his knowledge, none of his parishioners have been killed.
The parish, located on the north side of the town, did not sustain any damage to its structures, since "most of the affected area was (in) the south" of Greenfield, he said.
After the tornado, parish staff and volunteers quickly mobilized to offer prepared and nonperishable food, water, daytime shelter and essentials such as diapers, soap and shampoo.
On its Facebook page, the parish announced that it was "open to serve as a shelter for people impacted by the storm," and had "water and cookies" available while "seeking additional items."
As support has poured in, the parish has become a hub for help, with a local pizzeria setting up shop in the church parking lot and the Greenfield United Methodist Church donating supplies from its own food bank, along with blankets and pillows. In fact, so many have donated water that the parish - now keeping its doors open from early morning to mid-evening - has advised it can no longer accept additional drop-offs.
An updated list of requested donations posted to St. John's Facebook page May 22 includes items to assist residents in clean-up efforts, as well as first aid kits and baby items. The parish is also inviting area residents to charge their devices on site, and is even collecting spare chargers for phones and laptops.
In the tornado's aftermath, Father Bempong - who spoke with OSV News shortly after celebrating an early morning Mass May 22 - said he and his parishioners are leaning on their faith as they begin the long process of rebuilding.
"We have this wonderful slogan: 'God is good, all the time, and all the time, God is good,'" he said. "And this morning I told them, 'Even in bad times, God is good. And let there be hope.'"
That message resounded, he said.
"They all responded, 'And there was hope,'" said Father Bempong.
Caption: Volunteers clean up in Nevada, Iowa, May 21, 2024, after a tornado touched down the previous day. Iowa State Police confirmed a number of people had died May 21 in the town of Greenfield, a community of about 2,000 people 40 miles southwest of Des Moines. (OSV News photo/Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune/USA Today Network via Reuters)