EMIL KAPAUN, PRIEST

EMIL KAPAUN, PRIEST - 23 MAY

VENERABLE EMIL KAPAUN, PRIEST

Emil Joseph Kapaun was born in Pilsen, Kansas, USA, on April 20, 1916, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita on June 9, 1940, after completing his studies at Kenrick Seminary in Saint Louis.

After serving as a pastor for his home parish and a spell as auxiliary chaplain at the Army airbase in Herington, Kansas, he became an U.S. Army chaplain.

Father Kapaun was then assigned to posts in Burma and India during the final years of World War II and in Korea following the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950. There he administered the sacraments to troops, tended to the injured, prayed with soldiers, and selflessly served everyone. At times he celebrated Mass on the battlefield using the bonnet of a jeep as a makeshift altar. On November 1, 1950, the feast of All Saints, Father Kapaun celebrated Mass for the soldiers in his battalion. Shortly after midnight of November 2, All Soul’s Day, the area held by 3,000 American soldiers was unexpectedly attacked by a force of more than 20,000 charging Chinese troops. The Americans, taken by surprise and fighting valiantly, never had a chance. They were taken to a Chinese-run prison camp in Pyoktong, North Korea. Here Father Kapaun died on May 23, 1951, after months of malnutrition and pneumonia. Before his death, Father Kapaun was recognised for both his holiness and bravery while in active service.

In March 2021 the mortal remains of Father Kapaun were identified, and a funeral Mass was held on September 29, 2021, at Wichita’s Hartman Arena, with more than 5,000 people in attendance.

While not technically a martyr, Father Kapaun's cause has been classified under the category of "offering of life."

The category of "offering of life" is "a new cause for the beatification and canonization procedure, distinct from the causes based on martyrdom and on the heroism of virtues." The Vatican website explains that this cause was introduced by Pope Francis in 2017 to recognise as saints "those Christians who, following more than closely the footsteps and teachings of the Lord Jesus, have voluntarily and freely offered their life for others and persevered with this determination unto death."

Sources:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Kapaun

https://aleteia.org/2025/02/25/fr-emil-kapaun-is-now-known-as-venerable

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262413/pope-francis-declares-korean-war-army-chaplain-emil-joseph-kapaun-venerable

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