SUN, FEB 19, 2023
5:45 PM ET | FLOOR 1

The Gift of His Own Self

A presentation on the life of the Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun, military chaplain, and medal of honor recipient, with Colonel Michael Dowe, former POW, Korean War, Fr. Matthew Pawlikowski, retired senior chaplain at West Point Military Academy, and Roy Wenzl, journalist, moderated by Fiona Holly, librarian

Servant of God, Fr. Emil Kapaun, was a military chaplain and POW during the Korean War. He is remembered for his heroic service to his fellow prisoners and his deep faith in God. In the end, he died at the hands of his captors after blessing and forgiving them, but those he cared for did not forget him. In 2013, he posthumously received the military's highest award, the medal of honor. In 2021 he made national news when his remains were finally returned home to the Diocese of Wichita. Fr. Kapaun cared for others to the point of giving himself completely. Presenting his life at the end of the Encounter is the most fitting conclusion of the weekend's journey.