Newman University invites all to attend the 85th anniversary of Father Emil Kapaun’s ordination with Mass at 4 p.m. Monday, June 9, in St. John’s Chapel.
Kapaun’s history at Newman
Like many present-day Newman students, Kapaun was taught by sisters of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) — the same congregation that founded Sacred Heart College, present-day Newman, in 1933.
Kapaun took his priestly vows on June 9, 1940, in St. John’s Chapel at Newman under the same crucifix that hangs in the chapel today.
In honor of the venerable hero
The addition of a 12-foot by 4 ½-foot mural of Kapaun, painted by artist Wendy Lewis, was unveiled in August 2009 in St. John’s Chapel.
“Father Emil Kapaun left this chapel a changed man, leaving this chapel a priest, ordained to serve the Universal Church in the Diocese of Wichita,” Father John Hotze said in a homily at the Mass service before the mural unveiling in St. John’s Chapel.
Serving as an Army chaplain during the Korean War, the actions Kapaun took while being held in a war camp — which included stealing food to help fellow prisoners, providing spiritual comfort and tending to the sick — garnered attention and inspired authors, producers and playwrights. Kapuan died in the camp on May 23, 1951.
Celebrating Kapaun’s life through a book, play and documentary film
In 2013, Wichita Eagle journalists Travis Heying and Roy Wenzl published the book “The Miracle of Father Kapaun,” which was soon followed by a movie about Kapaun’s life, legacy and hopeful causes for his sainthood.
The Most Rev. Carl A. Kemme, Bishop of the Diocese of Wichita, declared a “Year of Father Kapaun,” which began June 7, 2015, and concluded with a closing Mass and dinner June 9, 2016.
A world premiere of the play “The Miracle of Father Kapaun” was held at Newman in February 2017. The play, adapted by Anne Welsbacher from the award-winning Wichita Eagle series, commemorates Kapaun’s life and the possible miracles associated with him, including that of Chase Kear. A recording of the play can be viewed on YouTube.
History was made when Kapuan’s remains were discovered and ultimately laid to rest at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita. Wenzl, an award-winning writer, and Heying, a photojournalist, paired up to create the documentary “Once Was Lost: The 70-Year Search for Chaplain Emil Kapaun,” which was shown to a live audience on Veterans Day in November 2021 in the De Mattias Performance Hall at Newman.
The hour-long documentary tells the captivating story — and arguable miracle — of the discovery of Father Kapaun’s remains 70 years postmortem, and the process of laying his body to rest in his home state of Kansas. Heying and Wenzl traveled to seven states and the District of Columbia to collect the pieces of this story and spoke to countless individuals along the way.
