Venerable Emil Kapaun Cause for Sainthood

05/28/2026

Celebrate Father Kapaun Day with us!
11:00 AM Mass and Lunch at St. John Nepomucene, Pilsen Kansas.
Come see the updates to the Chaplain Kapaun Museum as well!

05/23/2026

It's the 75th Anniversary of Father Kapaun's ultimate sacrifice.
Not only did he go to his death forgiving his enemies, he raised his feeble hand off of his stretcher and blessed them. Clearly the love of Christ had set him free from bitterness or trouble.
His death, instead of inducing despair, only served to give his fellow Prisoners of War the hope and strength needed to survive.
Father Emil, intercede for us to be so filled with faith, hope and love that we too may spend ourselves cheerfully in service of God and our neighbor.
Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us!

05/12/2026

"Honor the Saints by thinking of them, by taking them as examples." - Ven. Emil Kapaun

Help your children and grandchildren know and love Father Kapaun with this beautifully illustrated book published by the Father Kapaun Guild.

Written and illustrated in Wichita, it's available for presale at https://kapaunshop.square.site/. Ships end of June.

05/07/2026

Preorder today! https://kapaunshop.square.site/

“Father, what are you doing up here at the frontlines? It’s dangerous!” the soldier warned him.

“God chose me to be with you boys in this war,” Father Kapaun replied. “How about we say a quick prayer?”

This is the moving tale of Venerable Emil Kapaun, from his humble farm beginnings, to his call to become a Catholic priest, to his decorated service as an Army Chaplain and selfless prisoner of war.

No matter the difficulty, Father Kapaun followed God’s call to bring God’s light and love to those in need.

04/29/2026

Paul Roach, the last of the POWs who were present at Father Kapaun's Medal of Honor Ceremony, passed away earlier this month, aged 98.
The photo shown here is him saluting the remains of Father Kapaun as they were brought off the airplane in Wichita in 2021.
He had travelled from his home in New Mexico to be reunited briefly with a man whose life impacted him greatly. In fact, he attributed Father Emil with giving him the inspiration to survive the dark days of the North Korean prison camp.
Paul continued his life of service until the end, and he always wanted to support Father Kapaun's story. He loved to hand out small crucifixes in remembrance of Father Kapaun.
We are eternally grateful for the support and witness of these brave men who lived to serve, and who shared Father Kapaun's story with us. May they all rest in peace together in the heavenly kingdom.
Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us.

04/20/2026

Happy Birthday to our beloved Emil Kapaun! April 20, 1916
"In a very definite sense, we are all beneficiaries from the life of Father Kapaun. He has left us a stirring example of devotion to duty....He has given us a share in his dauntless bravery- of body and soul....He has bequeathed a picture of the Christ-like life.
What Father Kapaun willed to us cannot be contained in memorials, however costly or beautiful. It is a treasure for the human soul- the spirit of one who loved and served God and man- even unto death."
Msgr. Arthur Tonne, The Story of Chaplain Kapaun https://kapaunshop.square.site/product/story-chaplain-kapaun-book/4?cs=true&cst=custom

04/04/2026

“Easter Morning”. The images spring quickly to mind:
A bright and sunny morning, birds chirping in the trees, a glistening church filled with people, and a veritable garden of Easter lilies adorning the altar. Men are dressed in their Sunday best and little girls delighting in bright new dresses.
The jubilant sound of the organ resounds over the assembly as the Alleluia is once again unburied and is sung like no other day of the year. The joy runs over to our homes, where Easter baskets are filled with chocolate and the sweet aroma of ham cooking in the oven teases of the feast to come.
Seventy-five years ago, for a small group of Americans and their priest, the contrast couldn’t have been more stark.
It was a cold, gray morning when the 60 or so officers made their way past the guards, up the hill to the steps of a bombed-out church. It was a motley and bedraggled congregation.
Father Kapaun looked like all the rest of the prisoners with long hair and scraggly beard. He had an old sweater sleeve on his head as a cap and an eyepatch on an infected eye, but he wore his purple confession stole around his neck.
He held up a simple crucifix he had fashioned from two pieces of wood as he began the service, reciting the Stations of the Cross from a borrowed missal.
As he spoke, the road to Calvary and the mysteries of our Lord’s Passion became real for the men, who themselves daily lived under harsh treatment and the shadow of death. We are suffering, he told the men, but Christ understands and suffers with us.
Then Father Kapaun switched tones, focusing on the Lord’s Resurrection. He reminded them that after their time of suffering they too would experience the Lord’s Resurrection, as long as they didn’t lose faith or hope.
The men exercised their faith by singing the Lord’s Prayer, loud enough so that the rest of the men in the camp could hear. No eye was dry, and none of the men who attended could ever forget the sign of hope that this Easter offered them.
The outside appearance looked very different than the vision we will see in our churches this Easter, but the reality was the same. Christ is Risen. He remains with us. Remain with Him.

03/26/2026

We recently joined Regiment of the Cross to share Venerable Kapaun's story. Don't miss the part about peace, healing and forgiveness- gifts Christ wants to bring through Father Emil's intercession.

In this episode of *Regiment of the Cross*, we explore the extraordinary life of *Fr. Emil Kapaun*, the Catholic priest and U.S. Army chaplain whose courage,...

03/07/2026

Follow in Father Kapaun's footsteps- from the foxholes to the churches to the iconic field!
Our Venerable Kapaun Pilgrimage at World Youth Day 2027 is open for registration to all young adults 18-35.
Hope you can join us!
Check it out at https://frkapaun.org/wyd/

03/04/2026

Registration for the Kansas Camino is now open!
60 Miles 👣 June 4-7, 2026
Details and registration link at: www.frkapaun.org/pilgrimage