Member Log InThe June General Membership Meeting of the Serra Club of Johnson County, attended by about 35 Serrans, was by all indications a rousing success among those who participated. Kudos and a big thank you to VP Programs, Larry Ryan, who put the evening's schedule together!
The evening began with a visit to the Catholic Radio Network headquartered in Kansas City, MO, just up the hill from Pius X High School, the visit hosted by Catholic Radio Network President and CEO, Jim O'Laughlin and his wife, Carolyn. The group learned a bit about the history of Catholic radio in the Kansas City area and were able to spend some prayer time in the beautiful adoration chapel at the radio station. Photos (below) of the adoration chapel are courtesy of fellow Serran, George Lents, who commented that, prior to the visit, he wasn't much of a radio guy.
"Time to change that a little," Lents observed.
The group learned about the history of Catholic radio in Kansas City. The O'Laughlins have grown Catholic radio from its early beginning at KEXS in Excelsior Springs, MO, to a regional network. Serran, Kathy Ryan, described the story of Catholic radio in the region as, "a spectacular example of listening to God, prayer & perseverance."
According to the Catholic Radio Network website, the network encompasses some twenty-one (21) radio stations across Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado, on both AM and FM sides of your radio dial. The O'Laughlins joined the group for dinner.
From the radio station headquarters, the group ventured just down the hill to Divine Mercy Park, another product of the vision of the O'Laughlins. The focal point of the park is a 25-foot statue of the image of Divine Mercy, commissioned by Jim O'Laughlin, and created by South Dakota sculptor, Dale Lamphere, in 2006. The image was first placed at the Gate A entrance to Kauffmann Stadium, where it greeted thousands of Catholics who gathered on May 25, 2008, for a Global Living Rosary. 
The sculpture, weighing some 8,000 pounds, was created of stainless steel, and was located at Divine Mercy Park in November 2008, nearly two years before the park was dedicated on September 11, 2010. The group's visit to the park provided another opportunity for quiet prayer amid the beauty of nature.
Those interested in knowing more about the message of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina can learn about it here: The Divine Mercy Message | The Divine Mercy.
The evening concluded with a terrific Mexican dinner in a fiesta-like atmosphere at Manny's Mexican Restaurant on Southwest Boulevard. Fellow Serrans and recent new Serra Club members, David and Emily Lopez, provided the perfect venue for the group to conclude the evening's festivities.
Group consensus was that the evening provided a great opportunity to connect in a shared faith experience. Maggie Lents expressed it best in her observation that it was great "to get to know one another better in a setting other than the meeting room."
New club president, Rich Cofer, echoed the sentiment. "It's really nice to visit area attractions of our faith and share that experience with fellow Serrans."
The heat's on, Larry. You've set yourself (and subsequent Program VPs!) a pretty high bar. Well done!
