by John Sorce
Special to The Leaven
PAOLA — Former Lakemary Center president and CEO Kirk Davis couldn’t help but smile to be back at the place he called home for more than 40 years.
“I knew today was going to be an emotional but spiritual day,” Davis said.
On Sept. 24, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held on the newly opened Ursuline Legacy Park on Lakemary’s Paola campus.
Lakemary Center was founded by a group of Ursuline Sisters in 1969 to support children with special needs. Today, Lakemary has one school at their main campus in Paola that serves children from across the state. Some attend classes for the day, while others live there full time.
The center expanded through its Adult Services Program, which was launched in 1982 to include group homes, day services and vocational training. The adult program has day programs and residential houses in both Paola and Olathe.
Transforming a near tragedy
Following the ribbon cutting, Davis shared the story of how the decision to build Ursuline Legacy Park came to be.
On a chilly day in 2021, one of Lakemary’s students decided to swim across the lake that was there at the time.
The student was rescued by a few brave staff members. But because of the extreme cold temperatures, all were hospitalized for several hours to caution against hypothermia.
“It was one of those moments where I thought they were all going to drown,” Davis said. “But by the grace of God, they all survived.”
The next morning, Davis knew the lake that had been there for decades needed to be drained.
“I remember sitting there and thinking I don’t want to be sad about this for long,” Davis said, “and [I] tried to think about something meaningful that might help.
“That’s when it popped into my head to build a park in honor of the Ursuline Sisters.”
Because without the Sisters, there would be no Lakemary Center.
A culture of care
The center was founded when the Sisters saw a need for a school that would support children with special needs.
They donated 32 acres of land for a school, and Mother M. Charles McGrath led the charge to raise the necessary funds.
Over the next few decades, Lakemary became an accredited school and expanded services to support both children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Davis first visited Lakemary in the fall of 1982 at his mother’s request to take a tour. He quickly noticed the culture the Sisters had created and was hired six months later as the director of adult services.
He fondly reflected on the Sisters, describing each of them similarly: “Strong leadership, high expectations.”
“After joining the Lakemary family, the Urusline Sisters quickly accepted me and took me under their wing,” Davis continued. “The love, support and genuine friendship they gave all of us was incredible. Their work ethic, dedication and devotion to every child was amazing.
“I had never been around so many capable people in my life.”
The opening of the park was a homecoming for Sister Pat Lynch, who spent 13 years on staff at Lakemary.
“This ground is sacred,” Sister Pat said. “My heart is here, and I left a part of my heart here when I left.”
She has high hopes for what the park can offer to the community.
“We are very grateful for this Ursuline Legacy Park and delighted it will be open to the public for their enjoyment,” Sister Pat said. “We have fond memories of people walking through our peaceful grounds, and we hope those who visit will have the same peaceful spirit.”
For Davis, the park’s opening almost left him at a loss for words.
“Today’s dedication in sustaining the legacy of the Ursuline Sisters is so very deserving,” Davis said, “that it is almost beyond my ability to describe.
“Those of us here today and thousands of others owe a debt of gratitude to these amazing pioneer women.”
