News : Moses Project: Area church groups seek funds for 10 Commandment display

Project Moses is a nation wide movement to place 7000 monuments of the Ten Commandments across the country. Here in Iowa the goal is one monument in every County seat.

The local monument, a 900 pound stone structure, 5 foot 4 inches tall will be inscribed with the Ten Commandments on one side and the Beatitudes on the other is expected to cost $8000. Project Moses has been endorsed by the Ministerial Association of Vinton and by its member churches. The monument will be placed on the private property of Kyle Hummel at 5th Street and 2nd Avenue known as Hummel Park. The hope is the monument will be ready for dedication some time this summer. The lead organization for the Vinton Project has been The Knights of Columbus Council 3893.

Project Moses as part of its mission is also trying to make the Commandments more prevalent in our daily lives so with every $50 donation or more, the giver is presented with an 8" X 8" travertine limestone plaque with either the 10 Commandments or Beatitudes inscribed on it. Donations are being requested now. Individual and corporate donations can be mailed directly to: Knights of Columbus, 2200 S 2nd Ave., Vinton, Ia 52349. The giver should write their choice of the two different plaques on their check; "C" for the Commandments of "B" for the Beatitudes plaque. Any funds collected in excess of the cost to erect the local monument will be donated to the Project Moses Washington D.C. Memorial.

Project Moses is also working towards the completion of a $10 million memorial, similar to the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, to the Decalogue in Washington D.C.

Project Moses was the inspiration of John Menghini in the summer of 2000 when the ACLU successfully sued to removed a similar monument from the Wyandotte County Courthouse lawn in Kansas City. Donations are still needed to make this project a reality in Vinton!