On June 4th, 2023, Curtis Wolf of rural Ellinwood was able to cross one item off of his bucket list, taking part in the Fr. Kapaun pilgrimage. Wolf has felt a strong connection to Fr. Emil Kapaun, learning more about him when he was the patron of an ACTS retreat that he attended in 2016.
“Doing a pilgrimage is a great way to separate yourself from your everyday life and to take time to reflect on your own faith,” Wolf said. “Doing it in this setting with so many other people and in honor of Fr. Kapaun meant a lot to me.”
Wolf said he was humbled by people’s outpouring of prayer requests, which he gladly prayed for while on his pilgrimage.
Kapaun, a Catholic farm boy from the small Marion County town of Pilsen, became the town’s first native son to become a Roman Catholic priest, being ordained on June 9, 1940. Kapaun was a United States Army captain who served as a Chaplain during World War II and the Korean War. He was captured by Chinese Communists while serving in Korea, and heroically sacrificed for his fellow prisoners, dying in that prisoner of war camp in which he was held captive. Fr. Kapaun was declared a Servant of God in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, and his cause for canonization was opened in July 2008.
Fr. Kapaun’s nephew, Ray Kapaun, accepted the Medal of Honor posthumously for his uncle in 2013 from President Barack Obama. Ray Kapaun was present during the pilgrimage, and related personal stories of his uncle.
The pilgrimage, a 60-mile trek from Wichita to Pilsen, has become known as the Kansas Camino. This year marked the 15th annual pilgrimage which has been steadily increasing in number through the years. This year, 400 pilgrims were registered for the four-day event which began June 1st at the Church of the Resurrection in Bel Aire and ended with a Mass at Fr. Kapaun’s hometown parish of St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Pilsen on June 4th.
The first day of walking was a 22-mile trek, which was the most grueling day. Pilgrims came from many different states, and were comprised of all different ages and walks of life. Some pilgrims, like Wolf, walked the entire route and camped at pre-arranged parks or local farmsteads at night. Other pilgrims joined the group walking only part of the path and staying with friends, family or hotels instead of camping.
Daily Mass, time for prayer and reflection, singing, praying the rosary, night prayers, sharing of faith and “Kapaun’s Stations” were all part of the pilgrims’ days. Fr. Matthew Pawlikowski, born and raised in New Jersey, and a graduate of West Point in 1986, was one of the more notable pilgrims. When serving as an Army Chaplain at Fort Sill, Okla., he led fellow soldiers on the pilgrimage to Pilsen. Currently, he is a civilian chaplain at West Point, following his retirement in 2020. Wolf said that he also made delicious crepes for his fellow pilgrims.
Wolf was surprised at the number of young people, high school and college age, who took part in the pilgrimage. He even saw families pushing young children in strollers. Pilgrims were encouraged to walk with other people whom they didn’t know to become acquainted and share their faith journeys. Wolf felt that the Pilgrimage was powerful, very worth the time and effort, and a great way to both share and grow in one’s faith.
