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Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in High Point will hold an International Festival for the community May 31 to honor the many church members who were born in or who have family ties with foreign countries.

The festival, which is free and open to the public, will feature singers, dance groups and other entertainers who will perform from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. The festival will be outside the church at 4145 Johnson St. at Skeet Club Road.

The festival also will feature food and exhibits from many cultures and special fun activities for children.

“We strive to be an open-arms, welcoming church that readily accepts and fully appreciates people from all lands,” said the Rev. Jack Kelly, pastor. “The International Festival celebrates our diversity and gives the community a chance to rejoice with us and have some fun.”

The festival also shows the international ties the city of High Point has to many nations through the furniture industry and the International Home Furnishings Center. According to the High Point Chamber of Commerce, 67 foreign companies from 20 different countries have business operations in the city.

Kelly said Immaculate Heart of Mary Church members come from a wide range of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The church has 1,671 families and has doubled in size in the past eight years, he said.

He said the idea to form an International Club to engage with parish members from other countries came up a few years ago.

“Our stated aim was to recognize the diversity of our parish and the universality of the Roman Catholic Church,” Kelly said. “We decided to create the International Festival as an annual event for both the parish and community.”

The members of the International Club chose Pentecost Sunday for the festival because the Bible says Pentecost was the time when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and they all began speaking in the tongues of many nations, he said.

The event has typically attracted hundreds of people.

“We are very pleased to give the community this festival to share in our celebration of diversity,” Kelly said.

John V. McGinnis is a retired journalism professor and disabled veteran.