Father George Otuma, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, established gardens at the West Louisville parish last year to help him share the Gospel message.
“It’s not enough to preach the word. I wanted to be practical,” he said. “It’s another way of sharing my faith.”
Planted near the back of the property, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, peanuts, watermelon, sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, green peppers, okra, eggplant and cowpeas are thriving, some already chest-high on Father Otuma. He has also planted vegetables from his native Uganda, including malakwang, a leafy green that’s cooked with peanut butter, he said.
Father Otuma, a member of the Apostles of Jesus religious order, arrived in the Archdiocese of Louisville in 2016. Gardening is a way of life in the East African nation of Uganda. His mother taught him that way of life, he said.
“In my homeland, many do not have opportunities to be employed, but they have their garden, which is their livelihood,” he said.
He hopes to share that aspect of his culture and encourage both parishioners and the wider community to give it a try. Two plots in the gardens are available for parishioners to plant.
Having a garden allows families to prepare fresh foods, especially in a part of town that lacks access to grocery stores, he noted.
“You may not have plenty of land, but you can grow enough for salads instead of eating processed foods. It can improve our health,” he said.
Father Otuma, who is also the pastor of St. Augustine Church on West Broadway, shares the gardens’ produce with parishioners, elderly residents from a nearby apartment complex and members of the Ugandan community.
“It’s so beautiful to involve the community and work with them in a special way. Especially children (from the parish) who’ve not had the chance to be in touch with the soil, with nature,” he said.
Previously, Father Otuma shared his green thumb with parishioners in Casey County, planting gardens while he was pastor of St. Bernard Church in Clementsville, Ky., and Sacred Heart Church in Liberty, Ky.
Father Otuma’s efforts have also gained some attention from a local nonprofit. Immaculate Heart of Mary was selected for a $957 grant from the Jefferson County Master Gardener Association, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide “quality horticultural education to empower gardeners through hands-on learning opportunities, volunteer leadership, green partnerships, and service to the community,” according to its website.
Father Otuma plans to expand one of the gardens to create more plots. To achieve this, the grant funds will be used to purchase items such as gardening equipment, seeds and fertilizers, he said.
