Rural Redwood County park a place for reflection, religion for all
There's a stretch of highway between Redwood Falls and Marshall, Minnesota, where passing semi trucks and wide-open fields are your only company.
But if you happen to glance north outside the town of Vesta, you just might do a double take.
"I think it's wonderful. Everybody should see it," Shirley Mortensen said.
The place is called Reflection Park, and it's where you'll find five bronze statues of Jesus.
"I had corn here. I used to farm this land," Kenny Dolan said.
Ten years ago, Kenny Dolan's brother, Mike Dolan, and his wife got the idea to build the park and put sculptures on the property right between the corn and the soybeans. The couple was traveling through Omaha, Nebraska, when they saw a similar display.
"He asked the guy, 'Could you come up and make me some crosses?' And that's how it started. The next year, 2016, he built the first one," Kenny Dolan said.
A few years later, the sculptor built another one for the Dolans — and then three more after that. The intricate and detailed artwork represents the "Sorrowful Mysteries," which focus on the passion and death of Jesus.
Due to zoning restrictions in Redwood County, these structures couldn't be more than 35 feet high.
"Every year, it improves a lot," Kenny Dolan said.
Kenny Dolan is both the greeter and the caretaker. Over the years, he's had visitors from all over the world and all walks of life.
"Austria, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Netherlands. Also, Africa, Canada, Mexico," Kenny Dolan said. "I've got bikers who come out all the time and have their lunch on the table."
As the oldest of 13 Irish Catholic siblings, Kenny Dolan feels it's his responsibility to be here, which is why he's constantly adding trees and flowers when the weather gets warm.
"It's the only thing I got left, you know," Kenny Dolan said. "My wife passed away three years ago, and my sister Rose passed away after my wife did."
Kenny Dolan said his wife, Marie, and his sister, Rose, would want anyone to feel welcome here — even those who don't come from a large Irish Catholic family.
"I think anybody can enjoy it. It's not something just for Christians or whatever. I think it's for everybody," Mortensen said.
It's a place where reflection is just as important as religion.
"We need this here. Everybody needs this in their hearts," Kenny Dolan said.
The sculptor who made the bronze statues is named Michael Montag and he works in Nebraska.
Reflection Park is located on Highway 19 in Redwood County, about four miles southwest of Vesta.
