The Miracle of Father Kapaun: Priest, Soldier and Korean War Hero

by Roy Wenzl

Emil Kapaun priest, soldier and Korean War hero was a rare man. He was awarded posthumously the Medal of Honor, the nation s highest military award, and is also being considered by the Vatican for canonization as a saint.

Just as remarkable are the many non-Catholic witnesses who attest to Father Kapaun s heroism: the Protestants, Jews and Muslims who either served with the military chaplain in the thick of battle or endured with him the incredibly brutal conditions of a prisoner of war camp. These Korean War veterans, no matter their religion, agree that Father Kapaun did more to save lives and maintain morale than any other man they know.

Then there are the alleged miracles the recent healings attributed to Father Kapaun s intercession that defy scientific explanation. Under investigation by the Vatican as a necessary step in the process of canonization, these cures witnessed by non-Catholic doctors are also covered in this book.

In tracking down the story of Father Kapaun for the Wichita Eagle, Wenzl and Heying uncovered a paradox. Kapaun s ordinary background as the son of Czech immigrant farmers in Kansas sowed the seeds of his greatness. His faith, generosity and grit began with his family s humility, thrift and hard work.

"

Genres: Biography, Catholic, Religion, History, Nonfiction, Christian, War

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2013

About the author

Roy Wenzl is an award-winning reporter for the Wichita Eagle. He is the primary author of Bind, Torture, Kill: The Inside Story of the Serial Killer Next Door (Harper Collins, 2007) and a co-producer of the documentary film The Miracle of Father Kapaun.

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent man with an excellent story. I only gave the book 3 stars, because I thought it was poorly written. The narrative jumped all over the place and back and forth in time. There were aspects that were repetitive.

However, it was worth reading in order to get to know Father Emil Kapaun. He clearly touched the lives of countless people in a very real, moving, life-changing way, all for Christ. He lived exactly as we are called to live: in imitation of Jesus. He loved everyone he met, with his actions.

I hope with others that he is formally canonized, but I trust that he is in heaven, interceding for those who suffer.

[Meredith Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I finally got to learn the story of Fr. Kapaun. This version was very clearly written for a Kansas newspaper, and had more of the angle of explaining his canonization/medal of honor situation as it stood at the time rather than portraying the vita of a saint. And yet his story here still shows us the power of witnessing Christ for others.
My favorite people from the book were Avery’s parents. They just seemed to get it in a way that nobody else did

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Catholic Kansan, I am very familiar with Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun. I have viewed Fr. Emil Kapaun’s documentary film, visited his parish church and museum, heard homilies centered on his virtues, and have read both newspaper and online accounts of his life. Prior to reading The Miracle of Father Kapaun: Priest, Soldier, and Korean War Hero, I was not sure what else I could learn about the man whom I ask to intercede for me and my family daily.

I knew that Fr. Kapaun was a military chaplain and a war hero who had recently been awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Korean War. I also knew that he had been a prisoner of war and had helped his fellow prisoners, using the practical skills he acquired growing up on a farm in Pilsen, Kansas to sustain them during this difficult time. What I did not know about Fr. Kapaun were the intimate details of his life, as described by those closest to him. Nor was I aware of the specifics of the alleged miracles that have transpired in the lives of Kansas residents today. Finally, I was unaware of the fact that the Korean War veterans, who served with him, and whose lives were saved by him, had lobbied the Army for more than 60 years to award Kapaun for his acts of bravery. Authors Roy Wenzl and Travis Heying share all of this and more in their new book, The Miracle of Father Kapaun.

Wenzel and Heying have done a thorough job of researching Fr. Kapaun’s life, interviewing dozens of men who survived the POW camp because of the courageous acts of this young priest. The POWs share how Kapaun saved hundreds of lives by: repeatedly running through machine gun fire, dragging wounded soldiers to safety, stealing food from his captors to sustain his starving comrades, and shaping roofing tin into cooking pots to boil water, to prevent dysentery. Most of all, when their future appeared hopeless, he gave them hope and a reason to live. Fr. Kapaun’s companions portray him as a man who stepped out in faith, performing many astonishing acts of heroism, confounding his captors.

Wenzl and Heying are gifted writers who tell a gripping tale that grabbed my attention at the beginning of the book and held it to the end. This story often kept me on the edge of my seat. The book begins with the battle of Unsan (There is a map included to show where it is located). I knew nothing about this battle prior to reading this chapter, but the authors write with such clarity, ease, and realism, that I felt as if I were right there on the battlefield with the soldiers. Their clear and concise writing style as well as Kapaun’s intriguing story of both yesterday and today will motivate you to read this book immediately in one sitting, which is possible to do, as it is short. However, you may want to re-read and savor certain sections of the book. At least that is what I did – simply because they contain brilliant quotes from Fr. Kapaun and stunning samples of his writing.

Because Fr. Kapaun has not yet been canonized and the alleged miracles are just that until they have been approved by the Church, the authors present a very factual, historical account of Kapaun’s life. However, this does not at all detract from the story, but made it all the more interesting for me. What was particularly appealing to me is the fact that the authors present Fr. Kapaun as a very human individual, sharing his foibles and faults, rather than falsely depicting him as a plaster-perfect saint with whom no one can identify or emulate. I also enjoyed the humorous anecdotes that are shared by friends and neighbors that make Fr. Kapaun so genuine and so likeable.

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this inspirational and gripping account of Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun, Catholic priest, Korean War hero, and recipient of the nation’s highest award for bravery. He was a man of few words, but much action. Fr. Kapaun is someone we all can model ourselves after through our loving service to those in our everyday lives. The Miracle of Father Kapaun is an excellent book that I highly recommend for both Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m struggling to rate this book. The story of Father Kapaun is truly inspiring, and I enjoyed learning about him. However, the writing was really frustrating. It felt disjointed. I was often confused about where in time the people were. And sometimes exciting stories were cut off only to picked up again pages later, in a seemly haphazard way. Details were left out that I think could’ve helped the reader better grasp what was going on. And sometimes details were added that I found useless. All in all I was pretty disappointed that it wasn’t better written, since the subject matter, and the subject himself, make for a great story.

[Ava · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book for anyone who wants to find out more about Fr. Kapaun.

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

good ole classic. i think i want to be friends with fr kapaun

[Patrick Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to be morbid, but I've been thinking a lot about death. More specifically those moments before death. And what an inspiring read! Fr. Kapaun was a Catholic military chaplain who served in WWII and the Korean War, where he was a POW until his death. But it's what he did with his time that stands out. In the face of despair and hopelessness, Fr. Kapaun's spirit was the imitation of Christ and kept the will to live among his fellow prisoners. Could I ever be so triumphant and victorious in the face of death? Fr. Emil Kapaun would believe so. His case for canonization still rests at the Vatican, and I pray that following the recent discovery of his remains, there is more cause to do so.

Father Emil Kapaun gave
glory to God by following
his call to the priesthood and
thus serving the people of Kansas
and those in the military.
Father Kapaun, I ask your
intercession not only for these needs
which I mention now . . . but that I
too may follow your example of
service to God and my neighbor.
For the gifts of courage in battle
and perseverance of faith,
we give you thanks O Lord.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

the way the book was written gets 3 stars (constant shifts in time and who the authors are talking about doesn’t consistently work well in telling the story). i would’ve liked more information about fr. kapaun’s early life, and i would’ve liked it chronologically.

fr. emil kapaun gets five stars. a man who lived “faith without works is dead,” a man who prioritized service as a means of imitating Christ.

“Christ’s works testified to what [H]e was; our works will testify to what we are.” - Fr. Emil Kaupan

yes, i will be including this as a choice book for my 8th graders.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

In trying to learn more about Kansas history, particularly a spiritual history in Kansas. Father Kapaun stands out as a towering and influential figure. This slim book is packed full of stories about Father Kapaun's life and witness through his vocation. I am only just learning a little more about this remarkable man. This particular book seems to be working to strengthen the argument for Kapaun's canonization, and that argument is strong. I am hoping to continue learning and knowing more about both Kapaun and the small village of Pilsen.

[Paul Pesek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely inspiring book. I cried through the majority of it. When you see the love that Fr Kapoun has for his fellow soldiers when he picks them up and carried them on his back instead of letting them die it does something to you. I truly feel that in my darkest times that Fr Kapaun interceded from heaven and lifted me up onto his back and carried me. The parallels to Christ carrying his cross and carrying us and Fr Kapaun following in His footsteps will change your life forever.

[Oguz Alhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with many others who reviewed before me. I loved learning about Fr Kapaun but it was poorly written, repetitive. It was not flowing. I had to force myself to continue many times. I hope we will have better biographies of him some day.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story about a great human being, but it could've been written better.

[Catherine Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the technical side of things, this needed some editing and refinement. The first half about the POW camp was fairly well done, but the second half jumped around too much and needed some tightening up.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

At 140 pages, Wenzl and Heying's The Miracles of Father Kapaun is a slim book by any standard. What's more, the authors have managed to make it two books in one. The first, which occupies the book's first hundred or so pages, is the story of Father Emil Kapaun, a Kansas-born Catholic priest who volunteers for service in the Korean War, despite having served in World War II, and is captured by the Chinese military, along with hundreds of other American POWs. As he and the other men are slowly starved, humiliated, beaten, and killed by their captors, Kapaun works tirelessly to keep the men alive, their spirits high, and their faith--in God or any higher power, in each other, in themselves--in tact. Kapaun dies before the prisoners are freed, his body wracked illness and starvation, and the men mourn his loss more than perhaps any of the other POWs. These hundred pages, written in a matter-of-fact way that eschews literary flourishes and relies almost squarely on the first-hand accounts of the men who served with Kapaun in both war and imprisonment--in Hell and Purgatory--are a fascinating read, both engrossing and historical without being overly sentimental or concerned with literary entertainment.

It's the second half of the book--those last 30 to 40 pages--that are the problem. In hoping to support an ongoing attempt to get Kapaun canonized by the Catholic Church, which would make him forever a saint, his supports--a vast number of veterans, Catholic worshippers, and non-Catholic supporters--have worked to document evidence of miracles performed by Kapaun.* And while the three stories they have found are both heartbreaking and inspiring--in one, a young man who has fractured his skull and is expected to die from brain trauma is healed "miraculously" and can now walk; in the other, a girl with a mysterious degenerative illness is saved "miraculously" from certain death and now lives a full life once again--they are a marked contrast with the book's beginning chapters. The first hundred pages are the story of Kapaun's struggles, as detailed by the men who served with him; there is no emotion other than in the men's memories, and the authors remain almost entirely neutral and objective in their reporting, which gives the events surrounding Kapaun's capture and ongoing strength even more credibility. The last 40 pages, however, are the opposite. The events depicted have no clear scientific explanation according to the physicians involved--and in the case of the girl, both physicians are non-Catholics professing a miracle--and are written about as such: Wenzl and Heying's bias towards Kapaun and his potential canonization is on clear display--they want these events to be the miracles they're seen as, and their fawning over the possibilities they entail becomes tiresome.

That's not to say authors can't be biased, especially in a situation like this. After all, this book was written because of Kapaun's move towards sainthood, so it seems only natural to highlight how the man is still affecting people today, even if it's less about the flesh-and-blood man feeding them as they starve in a POW camp and more about the long-departed man being the recipient of a desperate--and fulfilled--prayer. But when both stories--his role as soldier, based in objective detail, and his role as a saint, based in emotional bias--are combined into the same book, it muddles the message and detracts from a story that, regardless of current events, needs to be told the way it happened, if for no other reason than the sake of history.


*Kapaun's supporters were also working to get him the Medal of Honor. On April 11 of this year--after Wenzl and Heying's book was finished--President Obama bestowed the honor posthumously on Kapaun, bringing to close a mission that has been ongoing for the last half-century.


This review was originally published at There Will be Books Galore,

[Fr. David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing fancy, but a simple biography of this courageous and humble Servant of God.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second book about Father Kapaun that I have read. It is very different from A Shepherd in Combat Boots: Chaplain Emil Kapaun of the 1st Cavalry Division by William Maher, that book went into a lot of details about his youth, his time in school, and the service. This book focuses on his time it Korea, his death, and the process of the cause of his canonization and the process of awarding him posthumously the Congressional Medal of Honor. The introduction states: "Emil Kapaun is a rare man. The Vatican is considering whether the priest deserves to be canonized a saint, and the president of the United States is pondering whether the soldier is worthy of the congressional Medal of Honor." It should be noted Pope John Paul II in 1993 declared him a Servant of God the first step towards canonization, and that he was awarded the Medal of Honour in 2013.

In the forward Bishop of Wichita Michael O. Jackels states:

"Why all the knowledge of and interest in Father Kapaun? The best answer I can think of is the attraction of his qualities of character.

Father Kapaun was brave. He mocked the Communist indoctrination lectures in the PoW camp, calmly refuting their attacks on religion.

Father Kapaun was generous. He literally carried a wounded soldier on a long, torturous forced march to the prison camp.

Father Kapaun was good-natured. He worked at lifting the spirits of the POWs and at giving them hope. "Have faith, have faith", Father Kapaun told them. "Don't give up. We'll get out of here someday."

Father Kapaun was caring. He would wash the clothes and bodies of sick POWs. He would scrounge for extra food to give them, sometimes giving them something from his meager share.

Father Kapaun was self-sacrificing. He was captured because he would not leave the wounded GIs, even though he had the opportunity to do so. He died on May 23, 1951, his death hastened by harsh treatment from his captors and by a lack of food and clothing, for he had given to other POWs much of what he had."

And it is some of those characteristics that drew me back to him. In many ways reading about Emil Kapaun is like reading about Damien of Molokai. Both men lived to serve, both stood against injustices and authorities. Both men served until they could give no more, and died because of how much of themselves they outpoured. The stories in this book will amazing. They will inspire and they will challenge. Jackels then goes on to say:

"Father Kapaun, just like every human being, including those already canonized by the Catholic Church, was not perfect. For example, he expressed the desire upon being liberated to treat a particularly nasty prison commander to a kick in the bohunkus. But it is his qualities of character, seen together with his humanness, that explain why everyone is interested in and touched by the story of Father Kapaun. These are manly, even heroic qualities of character, and the POWs with him, whether Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims or nonbelievers, found them to be attractive.

There is, however, another layer to Father Kapaun: his motivation, that is, why he acted so bravely, generously, cheerfully, thoughtfully, sacrificially. This can be explained by one word: Jesus."

For a man to have lived in the POW camps and lived such an example that Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and non-believers were all inspired by him. For him to have served all, and raised many to be the best version of themselves. Is truly an inspiration.

I have been married 15 years, in that time my wife has seen me cry maybe twice. I was brought to tears twice while reading this book. What the men live through in the POW camps, I can hardly imagine. How Father Kapaun took that situation and served the men, served God, and brought light and hope into that situation really is the grace of God and miraculous.

The second half of this book is about miracles attributed to Kapaun and the process of canonization that is under way.

This book in some ways is easier to read than A Shepherd in Combat Boots, but only because it does not go into nearly as many details about the time on forced marches, or as a POW. But it is hard to read some of the stories of miracles, as a father, as a brother, reading some of these stories and picturing my son or daughter, and it is hard not to, is very hard.

The monument to Kapaun in his home town has the saying engraved "all man, all priest" And he truly lived a life that will inspire and challenge us. What an incredible story! Father Kapaun pray for us!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books about Father Kapaun.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

During my undergraduate studies I took a course in British and Irish history to 1200 AD that included the reading of various kinds of hagiographies like those of Saint Patrick and Saint Brigit.  I must admit that I thought of such books as being relics of the Middle Ages, but lo and behold, this book is a contemporary example of the literary material that Catholics generate in order to support the process by which people move through being recognized as saints.  I was not aware of Father Kapaun before reading this book, but this book is a delightful and somewhat odd picture into a side of Catholic spirituality [1] that is quite foreign to my own background and my own habits.  Coming in at around 150 pages or so, this book is a largely undemanding read and so it offers a convenient access point into a genre of literature that I have largely neglected at any rate.  The authors of this book are under the belief that Emil Kapaun is a well-known and famous figure, but if I had never come across him until now, it is probably safe to guess that he remains a fairly obscure figure to those outside of the Catholic community of rural Kansas, where he was born and raised.

In terms of its contents, this book is divided into various chapters with two overarching purposes--determining as best as possible the facts of the lives of military chaptlain Emil Kapaun and determining if he meets the rigorous standards of sanctity established by the Roman Catholic Church.  After a foreword from a bishop and a short intorduction, the book looks at the Battle of Unsan in what is now North Korea where Emil Kapaun was captured along with other soldiers during the initial Chinese advance from the Yalu River in late 1950.  The authors then spend several chapters looking at the remaining part of the grim life of its subject, the death march, the prisoner of war camp, Kapaun's conduct in organizing efforts at stealing food and medicine as hundreds die, his role as defender of the faith in a camp run by godless atheists, and his strenuous efforts at showing forgiveness and generosity before his death as were recorded by fellow prisoners of war.  Special attention is paid to the survival of Kapaun's cross, ironically constructed by a Jewish POW, before the book turns to defining a miracle and showing two healings that meet the rigorous standards and have withstood the scrutiny of an official Advocate for the Devil for the Catholic Church, before acknowledgments and a few appendices, sources, and an index close the book.

This book appears to have two motives.  The first is to anticipate and justify Emil Kapaun being given the Distinguished Medal of Honor for his selfless generosity in helping GIs escape an impossible situation during the Korean War as well as for his efforts at encouraging morale and helping his fellow prisoners survive the brutality of prison camps.  The second aim is to show how his sanctity but also his humanity not only helped in miraculous ways during his life but after his death, which would provide according to the worldview of Catholics evidence of his sanctity.  Admittedly, I found myself rather queasy in thinking about the Catholic practice of praying to saints, as apparently is done in the area of Kansas where Kapaun was from.  Even for readers like me who have no interest in nor fondness for such aspects of popish spirituality, this book provides a look at a truly great man who I had never heard about before reading the book but who I feel a certain sense of kinship with and respect for.  For that fact alone this book and its authors deserve considerable praise.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book is a short account of Father Emil Kapaun’s service in Korea. It begins with covering his actions during the Battle of Unsan (fought between October 25th – November 4th 1950) where he continuously ran under heavy fire bringing back wounded GIs to the ever diminishing American lines and preformed numerous last rites for many dying soldiers. The book continues with his capture on November 2nd 1950, where he and other soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment were forced marched by Chinese troops 87 miles to a prison camp near Pyoktong, North Korea. During this forced march, Father Kapaun carried continuously the wounded Sergeant Herb Miller on his back, rallying other soldiers both enlisted and officers to help carry the wounded on stretchers ( a duty he also preformed when switching off with other soldiers from carrying Miller) The book then details his numerous exploits in the camp, how he helped organize his fellow soldiers into stealing food from the guards, raising morale among his comrades, conducting religious services within the camp, and speaking out against the communist indoctrination classes that Kapaun and his fellow soldiers were forced into. The latter portion of the book describes Kapaun’s physical breakdown, as camp life took a toll on him, he developed a blood clot in one leg, and suffered from pneumonia, dysentery, and malnourishment. He was taken by the guards to building in the camp called “the hospital”, although no one ever returned from there. Left to die among other soldiers in the building, Father Kapaun passed away on May 23, 1951. The book final chapters continue the story of the post war lives of many of the soldiers that Kapaun saved and their thought’s regarding him. Also included are the stories of possible miracles that have been attributed Father Kapaun.

I really enjoyed this book, I felt that it was a good introduction to Father Kapaun’s life for those like myself who did not know much about him prior to reading this work. I just wish that it covered in greater detail his early life and service in World War II, that was somewhat brushed aside to focus particularly on his service in Korea. A few other books on Father Kapaun cover those topics much more and I will definitely set aside time to read them in the near future.

[Jungsook Chung · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Miracle of Fr. Kapaun -Priest, Soldier, And Korean War Hero, by Roy Wenzl and Travis Heying


The Roman Catholic Church, Sacred Heart in NJ, where I belong, decided to start a book club with this book. As an avid reader and Korean American, I wondered why I never heard of this book or this priest.

Fr. Kapaun was not extraordinary until he volunteered as a Chaplain for WWII and the Korean War.

I will point out the most touching or interesting parts of Fr. Emily Capaun’s life in the Korean War. One of the soldiers, Herb Miller, played dead in a ditch at Unsan after a grenade shattered his ankle. When Miller was to be shot by a Chinese soldier, Fr. Kapaun shoved him aside and carried him to the POW camp for 32 miles. Fr. Kapun was thin as he was a POW himself. How was it possible for him without the supernatural powers?

Afterward, Fr. Kapaun got the nickname Dismas, Good Thief, who was crucified on the right-hand side of Jesus because Fr. Kapaun stole food best to save the prisoners out of fellow prisoners. The father explained that stealing was not against the commandments because they were being starved to death by their captors.

Fr. Kapaun was always next to the person who needed help most physically or psychologically. He got the highest respect. Everybody listened to him very faithfully.

He died willingly and forgave those who killed him. He said, “You are sorry for me? I am going to be with Jesus Christ. And that is what I have worked for all my life… You should be happy for me.” He also said, “Forgive them. For they do not know what they do.”

When he fell pneumonia, his friends and fellow prisoners did their best to recover him, and he gradually recovered. But the enemy, the Chinese, did not want him alive because he encouraged and energized the soldiers and took the Father to the Death House. They isolated the sickest men there and let them die of thirst. He died there in May 1951.

Fr. Kapaun received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Korea even though he never carried a gun or rifle. He was the noncombatant hero. But he did much more than required by reaching the wounded and dying fellows. I watched it on YouTube. Former President Obama summarized Fr. Kapaun’s life excellently. Obama’s grandparents were from Kansas like the Fr. at a similar time. Lt. Mike Dowe, a graduator of Fr. Kapaun’s best friend kept writing about the father. He has ‘lobbied, testified, and written about Kapaun’s heroism for sixty years.’ He worked full-time as a nuclear physicist. He and several of Fr. Kapaun’s nephew, relatives, and his friends and attended this award ceremony.

[James Cogbill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story about an amazing man, medal of honor recipient, and (hopefully) a future Saint. The provides a simply written account of Father Kapaun's life, remarkable courage in battle, and undeniable heroism and grace ministering to the injured, sick, and hopeless in the POW camps of North Korea. The book also tells about his fellow Soldiers' and Catholic believers quest for his sainthood. The "minor miracles" attributed to him while he was alive were followed up with other important miracle healings attributed to his intercession from heaven. The book is uplifting and inspiring and also provides an unforgettable portrait of a true servant leader.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about Fr. Kapaun (that would be kahPAWN) and the way he lived his life. He truly demonstrated how to lead by becoming a servant first. I was brought to tears many times because of his heroism on the field and in the POW camps. This is definitely a man to know, whether the Church ultimately canonizes him as a saint or not.

Absolutely the only reason I gave this book four stars was because of inconsistent writing. It was as if they had written a much longer, more detailed version, and this was an abridged version. Many times, it seemed as though paragraphs were missing because one didn't naturally lead to the next.

[Nishi Giefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nephew left this book on the floor next to the easy chair at my in-laws during Christmas a few years ago. Recognizing Father Kapaun's name, I picked up the book to glance at the cover and opened it up to read a page or two. Two hours later, I got out of the chair having finished the book. Amazing read, very well written, very compelling story. The end of the book details Father Emil's fellow veterans seeking the Medal of Honor for the priest. It has since been granted. Now it is the Catholic Church's turn to canonize him a saint.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible subject matter. Fr. Kapaun’s imitation of Christ is inspiring. A strong reminder that holiness is as simple but difficult as loving at all costs. The sections of the book felt choppy and unnaturally organized which made it a little unpleasant to read, especially toward the end with the various miracles. Not sure why they are told as if happening at the same time when they were years apart. Reads like a script to a reenactment tv show. Nevertheless, hope we can soon call him Saint Emil Kapaun.

[Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having watch a documentary on Fr. Kapaun, I found this book and was interested to learn more. If you’re in the same boat as me, just stick with the documentary. Despite the story of Fr. Kapaun being an interesting and inspiring one, the authors of this book did the tale a disservice with how poorly written this book is. It jumps around frequently, and reads very detached and matter-of-fact when it does remember to talk about pertinent events, not allowing the reader to form any emotional connection with this moving story.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book I would rate a 5 - the story of a man who ministered to and suffered along with his fellow POWs in the hellscape of a North Korean prisoner of war camp. The conditions were absolutely horrific and it's amazing anyone survived at all. Father Kapaun's kindness in both words an deeds were undeniably heroic.

The second half of the book describing the process of trying to get Father Kapaun declared a saint. While equally as earnest, it's just not as interesting or compelling.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast but emotionally-charged read, especially for a Catholic veteran! Incredible man in every way. Loved the personal accounts of his life during the the most treacherous of times.

The only part I did not like was how the authors put together the last chapter about his intercessory miracles. They kept jumping back and forth between two stories....the rest of the book was so good I couldn’t bring myself to give it less than 5 stars.

[Artie Monahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written reporting of bravery and kindness

The cruelty of war is brought to light. The sin of how we mistreat and abuse each other for the cause of a philosophy.
The story is well written and directly tells of the abuse of prisoners. Christ shows concern for prisoners and implores us to visit. Saint Dismas is our first Saint, Christ told him that this day you will greet me in heaven.

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Fr. Kapaun is truly incredible and absolutely worth learning about. I only gave the book four stars because it is choppy and tries too hard to make Fr. Kapaun’s story even more exciting with unnecessary cliffhangers. Unfortunately, these are not effective and often distract from the story.

As the story often says, Fr. Kapaun’s life of heroic self-sacrifice can be (and was) appealing to all men, regardless of race or religion.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally a good overview of Kapaun. If you're reading this as a Catholic, be prepared for an account written by a (well-meaning and intellectually fair) non-Catholic who will get phrasing and "Catholic-specific" details slightly wrong, which is odd since this is published by Ignatius. Also, it is surprisingly slim on details of Kapaun's early life and upbringing and priesthood before Korea, which is mildly annoying.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book looked kind of thin and small when I began - but it certainly packs a punch. I don't think I've ever almost cried that much while reading a book.

This book really showed what it was like to be a POW; it was awful, but also inspiring to see how Father Kapaun acted in those conditions. I will forever remember him if I'm ever tempted to complain I'm hungry.

The story was told well, and I would definitely recommend this book.