Artist Wendy Lewis describes the symbolism in a 12-foot by 4.5-foot mural she painted of Father Emil Kapaun, which was unveiled Wednesday, Aug. 5 in St. John’s Chapel on the Newman University campus. The unveiling ceremony included a blessing of the painting by the Most. Rev. Michael O. Jackels, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, who also celebrated a Mass before the unveiling. Fr. Kapaun, who was ordained in St. John’s Chapel on June 9, 1940, served as an Army chaplain during World War II and the Korean War, and died in 1951 as a prisoner in North Korea. He is being considered for canonization as a martyr.
Read more about the Father Emil Kapaun mural and his biographical information.
Read Artist Wendy Lewis’s comments about the mural and her experiences during the project.
Read Fr. Hotze’s homily given during the Mass before the unveiling.
