SIOUX CITY — Organizers of a long-planned Christian-themed park in Sioux City have dedicated the newly opened green space, thanks to private donations. The Shepherd’s Garden has opened with plants, walkways, plaques bearing Bible verses and three crosses. It fills what had been an empty lot where an abandoned YWCA had once stood. A dedication ceremony was held Thursday inside the neighboring First Presbyterian Church. Representatives of The Shepherd’s Garden Foundation expressed gratitude to the more than 100 donors who funded the $900,000 project.
The group turned down a $140,000 state Vision Iowa grant last year after the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation complained that awarding public money to a project intended for religious worship violated the U.S and Iowa constitutions.