WICHITA —After 70-year the remains of Fr. Emil Kapaun will be delivered to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita on Monday for a vespers service for the priests of the diocese, according to the Catholic Diocese of Wichita..
The remains were flown back to Kansas from Hawaii over the weekend and then taken to Pilsen — Kapaun's hometown.
A luncheon will be held Tuesday at the Cathedral for special guests, such as the families of the prisoners of war, military officials, and other friends of the Cause. The U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, Maj. Gen. Thomas Solhjem, is scheduled to share some thoughts at the luncheon. Kelly McKeague, the director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, may also attend and speak, according to the diocese web site. Kapaun died in a prisoner of war camp during the Korean War.
“We’re looking forward to that moment to honor and share Fr. Kapaun’s story,” said Scott Carter, coordinator of the Father Kapaun Guild.
The funeral vigil for Fr. Kapaun will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at Hartman Arena in Wichita. The vigil and the funeral are ticketed events. A few tickets may be available at KapaunComesHome.com
“It will be a beautiful and powerful ceremony with prayer – and music by the Air Force and West Point Catholic Cadet choirs,” Carter said.
A rosary will be prayed at the vigil and Fr. John Hotze, Episcopal Delegate for Fr. Kapaun’s Cause, will preach a homily. Fr. Kapaun’s casket will be on the stage during the event.
The Mass of Christian Burial for Fr. Kapaun will be celebrated at Hartman Arena at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 29.
“Bishop Carroll celebrated a Memorial Mass in 1953 when they found out that Fr. Kapaun had died in a prisoner of war camp,” Carter said.
“The family was there, the military was there, and it was a great way to honor him and pray for the repose of his soul. But a flag was draped over an empty casket. This time will be different.”
A lot of people believe that Fr. Kapaun’s soul is now in heaven, he said, adding that the diocese is still working with the Vatican for validation regarding his cause for beatification and sainthood.
EWTN is scheduled to broadcast both the vigil and funeral Mass, and both will also be live-streamed on the Diocese of Wichita’s YouTube Channel.
After the funeral Fr. Kapaun’s remains will be driven to a site on Central Avenue near Veterans’ Memorial Park where his casket will be placed on a horse-drawn military caisson.
The procession will slowly move east on Central Avenue about a half-mile to the Cathedral.
“The faithful are invited to line the procession route to pay their final respects as he is taken the Cathedral where he will be interred.”
Fr. Kapaun will receive military honors, a 21-gun salute, and Taps, before his remains are carried into the Cathedral by the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. Fr. Kapaun served with the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea.
Soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas, will also take part in the week’s events.
“There will be opportunities to visit him and pray at the Cathedral beginning the day after the funeral,” Carter said. Details are being finalized and will be available at FrKapaun.org.
He said it is unknown how long Fr. Kapaun will be interred at the Cathedral.
“If Father is beatified I think we will talk more earnestly about the possibility of a dedicated shrine, but for now the Cathedral will be a place people can visit and pray with Father Kapaun,” Carter said.
Fr. Kapaun was known for risking his life on the battlefield during the Korean War to minister to the troops on the frontlines. He was taken a prisoner of war in November of 1950, enduring brutal captivity where he continued to serve and bolster the morale of fellow prisoners. Fr. Kapaun died in the prison camp on May 23, 1951. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2013 for his heroic actions on the battlefield.
Fr. Kapaun was among over 800 unidentified Korean War soldiers returned to U.S. custody in 1954 and buried in the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii.
In 1993, Father Emil Kapaun was named a Servant of God, signifying that his cause for sainthood could begin. A thorough investigation into his life was conducted by the Diocese of Wichita and the details presented to the Congregation for Saints in Rome, where his cause awaits review on the path to what we pray will be his eventual beatification and canonization.