The flag-draped casket was empty during a Memorial Mass in Wichita for Father Emil J. Kapaun on July 29, 1953. The casket at Fr. Kapaun's fu- neral Wednesday, Sept. 29, won't be vacant. He is coming home. The memorial Mass in 1953 in the Cathedral of the Immacu- late Conception was celebrated a little over two weeks after word of Father Kapaun's death reached Bishop Mark K. Carroll on July 12, 1953. He was notified that the U.S. Army chaplain died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp on May 23, 1951. Seventy years after his death, a U.S government forensics team in Hawaii announced on March 4 that it had identified the remains of Fr. Emil Kapaun. Ray Kapaun, Fr. Kapaun's nephew, will be traveling to Hawaii on Sept. 20 with his wife and niece, to formally accept Fr. Kapaun's remains and bring them back to the Diocese of Wichita. Representatives of the Diocese will also be traveling with the family, including Bishop Carl A. Kemme, the Very Rev. Father Da- vid Lies, Vicar General, the Rev. Wayne Schmid, a retired Army chaplain and priest of the diocese, and Scott Carter, the coordinator of the Father Kapaun Guild. Carter said many events have been scheduled with the faithful and military in Hawaii and in Wichita for Fr. Kapaun's home- coming. Mass to be celebrated in Honolulu The Most Rev. Clarence Richard Silva, the bishop of Honolulu, has offered to host a Mass on Thursday, Sept. 23, in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, as a ceremonial send-off for Fr. Kapaun's remains. The Mass is scheduled to be live-streamed from the Honolulu cathedral's website at 11 p.m. Central Standard Time. It's a moment for the Hawai- ian people to recognize someone who has been buried in their

Fr. Kapaun's tomb in place; ready for his remains

A vial labeled as the Pfizer-BioN- Tech COVID-19 vaccine is seen in this illustration photo. (CNS photo/Dado Ruvic, Reuters) It took a lot of planning and a lot of pushing to get Fr. Kapaun's 5,400 pound marble tomb placed on the concrete foundation in the east transept of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita. It took most of the morning to move the tomb from a truck, up the side- walk to the Cathedral's southwest exit, and exactly into place. Slideshow at YouTube.com/DioceseOfWichita. (Advance photo) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Over the past several weeks, many of my brother bishops have shared their thoughts regarding the Covid-19 crisis we face in the world to- day and the re- sponse we are called to make as faithful Catholics. By means of this pastoral letter, I would like to share my own reflections on this important subject. I do so, knowing full well that some may disagree with my words, while others will welcome them. I only ask that you receive these words with charity and do- cility. I hope they will help you to form your conscience as you make important decisions regarding your health and that of those under your authority. First, let me encourage you to remain steadfast in your prayers for an end to this pandemic. We can never underestimate the pow- er of prayer as we seek the divine assistance of God to dispel this evil from our world. I also encour- age you to keep praying the Holy Rosary, which I am confident is a spiritual weapon well suited for this moment of crisis. Our Blessed Mother is close to us, as a moth- er is always close to her suffering children. I pray that through her intercession, God will bring us out of this current darkness. I also want to encourage us to pray for the sick, those who care for them, and for those who have died from this virus. May God help to sustain the sick, all health care providers, and may he grant eternal rest to the dead and comfort to those left behind. Friends, this virus has not only caused much sickness and in some cases death, but it is also causing much division in our relationships within families, parishes, and communities. It is a sad and tragic reality. How then are we as faith- ful Catholics to respond when it comes to the means by which we are able to protect ourselves, oth- Bishop Carl A. Kemme

Bishop: pray for an end to the pandemic; the vaccine is permissible

ers around us and to do our part in reducing the spread of this poten- tially deadly virus? And how can we do this with the intention of building one another up, instead of tearing others down? In all times, but especially in times of crisis, we Christians must be known for our love of God and neighbor. Like you, I too have had to discern what means I would take to do my part in this crisis. Af- ter considering the teachings of the church on conscience and the common good, and after reading the note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 vaccines, pub- lished in December of 2020 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the document by Continued on page 2. midst...and a send-off of, hopeful- ly, a future saint," Carter said. The Wichita diocesan group will also tour the Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency facili- ties where Fr. Kapaun's remains were identified as well as the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu. Leaving Hawaii on Sept. 24 U.S. Army Forces Command Chaplain Col. Rajmund Kopec, a Catholic priest, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Christina Roberts, Fr. Kapaun's niece, will officially escort Fr. Kapaun's remains on a commercial airline flight leaving Honolulu on Sept. 24. Family and diocesan representatives will also be on the journey that will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 25, when a flight from Dallas lands at Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita. The military escort stays with the remains along the way," Car- ter said, "which is the military's way to honor those who have fallen and ensure their security. They are never left alone; they are loved and not forgotten." Other family members and diocesan representatives will welcome Fr. Kapaun's remains at the airport, he said. From there, his remains will be going to Pilsen for the week- end where he will truly return home," Carter said. The visit to St. John Nepomucene Church is primarily for the Holy Family Parish community to pray for and spend time with their native son. We're asking everyone out- side of the parish to be respectful of that time and take the opportu- nity to participate in the events in Wichita," he said. Vigils and funeral in Wichita Fr. Kapaun's remains will be delivered to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Mon- day, Sept. 27, for a vespers service for the priests of the diocese. I think it will be a powerful, touching moment for them to be with their brother priest," Carter said. A luncheon will be held Tuesday at the Cathedral for special guests, such as the families of the prison- ers of war, military officials, and other friends of the Cause. The U.S. Army Chief of Chaplains, Maj. Gen. Thomas Solhjem, is scheduled to share some thoughts at the luncheon. Kelly McKeague, the director of the Defense POW/ MIA Accounting Agency, may also attend and speak. We're looking forward to that moment to honor and share Fr. Kapaun's story," Carter said.

The Official Newspaper

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Friday, September 17, 2021 vol. CLVI No. 18