Servant of God Emil Kapaun’s holy, courageous priesthood brought others to Christ amid great darkness and suffering
By Scott Carter
Coordinator of the Office of the Beatification of Father Emil Kapaun
Diocese of Wichita, Kansas
The witness of a holy priest has a profound effect on those around him. Standing in the person of Christ, the priest is uniquely positioned to lead others to Jesus and bring Jesus to his people regardless of the circumstances or difficulties.
Servant of God Emil Kapaun serves as a powerful example of that truth.
Kapaun's Early Life
Servant of God Emil Kapaun was born in 1916 to Czech immigrants in the small farming community of Pilsen, Kansas.
For someone who rarely ventured far from home, he grew up with a remarkable missionary heart. Inspired by the example of courageous priests and religious of the Columban missionary society in China, Kapaun felt called to bring Christ’s love far and wide.
Initially ordained to the priesthood in 1940 for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, he quickly found his calling to serve in the Armed Forces, serving as an Army Chaplain in World War II and, more notably, the Korean War.
The 'Shepherd in Combat Boots'
Realizing that the peace of Christ can reign even amid the horrors of the battlefield, the “Shepherd in Combat Boots” was determined not to play it safe.
He was known for venturing to the front lines to bring hope to his “boys,” whether in the form of an apple, an extra drink from his canteen or a prayer. During firefights, he would crawl to reach the wounded on the battlefield to give an anointing and to drag the living to safety. Somehow, he managed to do this without a scratch, although his trusty pipe was shot out of his mouth by a sniper, and he had to jump into muddy ditches many times.
His holy courage even led him to celebrate Mass within range of the enemy on several occasions.
After Kapaun made his way to a group of soldiers on the battlefield, an officer at the battalion headquarters said, “Father, things are pretty hot here at present, and I don’t think you should be up here.”
Far from deterred, Father Kapaun replied, “Then I think we need a Mass, Captain, and if you can spare the men for a few minutes, I’ll say it.”
Mass was celebrated amid artillery fire and danger, yet the men were all miraculously spared.
For Father Kapaun, bringing Christ to his men was critical, even if earthly dangers stood in the way.
A Light in the Prison Camps
Eventually, those earthly dangers caught up with him. Ambushed and outnumbered by the Chinese entering the war, Kapaun’s unit was decimated. Though the chaplain had a chance to escape, he willingly stayed with his men as they were captured. Father Kapaun would eventually die in captivity, but not before he brought the light of Christ into the darkness of the prison camps.
In the camps, all religious services – especially Mass – were forbidden. This would have been a particular trial for someone who is recognized for celebrating Mass in a cornfield on the hood of a Jeep.
Yet the time of captivity brought another aspect of Father Kapaun’s priestly ministry to the fore: the ministry of identity and presence.
A priest is more than simply what he does. Yes, the Sacrament of Holy Orders gives a man the ability to confer the sacraments for the sake of the Church, but it is much more than just that.
Holy Orders conforms a man to Christ in a unique way. It makes him an alter Christus, another Christ. Like Baptism and Confirmation, the sacrament leaves an indelible mark on the soul that will not disappear, even in eternity. When we see a priest, we ought to see Christ present with us.
Jesus came to reconcile us with the Father and bring us his love. Yet, we live in a world where God’s love is often veiled and can easily be lost in the difficulties and challenges we face. The very presence of a holy priest can help us see beyond the veil.
This is exactly what Father Kapaun did in the prisoner-of-war camp. In the hellish conditions where up to two dozen men were dying each day, it was easy for men to become discouraged. The reality of evil was powerfully present.
However, Father Kapaun’s determination at the time of his ordination – to spend himself for God cheerfully, no matter the circumstances – was a determination to make Christ present. He did this in many ways: boiling clean water for the men to drink, caring for the sick and washing their clothes, picking lice off men who were unable or unwilling, and always being a voice of encouragement and forgiveness.
'God was very close to us'
The witness of Father Kapaun’s Christlike ministry to those around him transformed hearts and pointed suffering soldiers to Emmanuel, God-with-us.
For Lieutenant William Funchess, that transformation began when he met the holy chaplain, who offered him a drink of warm water from a makeshift cup hand-formed out of sheet metal.
After downing the mouthful of snow that had been melted and warmed over a fire, Funchess thanked Father Kapaun.
“That was the first drink of water I’ve had in almost two months,” he said, having survived up to that point by eating cold snow off the ground. “That was the best drink of water I’d had in my entire life,” he later admitted.
From that first encounter and “best drink of water,” Father Kapaun continued ministering to Funchess and the other men in his spiritual charge. Through that very ministry, Funchess saw his life transformed, even in the face of cruelty, suffering and abuse.
“Before I met Father Kapaun in the prison camp, I believed in God but felt that God was far away,” Funchess said. “After I met Father, I realized God was very near, was all around us. Father Kapaun talked to us about God nearly every day, prayed with us nearly every day, and he persuaded me that God was very close to us. He told us all we had to do was reach out to him.”
The Impact of a Holy Priest
The little things Father Kapaun did were simple, but he performed them with such love and purpose that everyone recognized Jesus behind them. Father Kapaun reflected Christ so well that many soldiers joked that he started to look like Christ.
After he died, the prisoners carved a crucifix in his memory so that Jesus would continue to be present among them.
Although their imprisonment continued for two more years, they knew Christ was with them; Father Kapaun’s priestly witness had made him real.
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