Unveiling of Kapaun statue a major event

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BRENDA CONYERS
With the once-in-a-lifetime event less than two weeks away, Holy Family Parish is fine-tuning last-minute details.


“Plans are moving right along,” said Rose Mary Neuwirth, organizer of the unveiling and dedication of the Father Emil J. Kapaun Memorial in Pilsen Sunday, June 3.


“And now we even have more good news.”


Neuwirth said about a week and a half ago she received a phone call from the Pentagon saying the Kapaun event has been designated by the Department of Defense as a 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Partner.


“This is a special designation,” Neuwirth said, “I think there are only two other Anniversary Partners in the state of Kansas.”


The Commemoration Partnership is a program designed by the U.S. Department of Defense to honor Korean War veterans, family members and survivors.


Neuwirth said as part of the program, a special commemorative flag was received to be flown June 3, and permission to use the 50th Anniversary logo on any printed materials was given. The ceremony will be held at the St. John Nepomucene Church in Pilsen.


The memorial mass, which starts at 2 p.m., will be celebrated by Edwin O’Brian, archbishop of military services, and concelebrated by Eugene Gerber, bishop of Wichita.


Other clergy members participating will include: Paul Oborny and Richard Stuchlik, both of whom grew up in the parish; Stephen Gronert, pastor of Holy Family Parish; and military chaplains Maj. Gary Underwood of McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita and Lt. Col. Michael Honor of Ft. Riley.


Stuchlik and Deacon Nicholas Voelker of Florence will be masters of ceremony.


Because of the anticipated large number of guests, some will view the mass on closed-circuit television in the basement of the church.


A special part of the mass will include a procession of symbolic gifts, just like the procession 61 years ago at Kapaun’s first mass in Pilsen


Neuwirth said nearly all who were involved in the first procession will be in this year’s procession, which includes the following: Robert Navarat, Eugene Vinduska, Frank Stika, Delores Bezdek Stroda, Margie Vinduska Stroda, Marion Navrat, Rosemarie Dvorak Van Buren and Patsy Meysing Wanter.


Members of Kapaun’s family will present the offerings of bread and wine as well as Kapaun’s personal stole, prayer book and monstrance-a receptacle that holds a consecrated wafer.


The dedication of the cast-bronze statue of Kapaun helping a wounded soldier will follow the mass, outside on the southwest corner of the church property.


Several men who were in the prison camp with Kapaun are tentatively scheduled to attend the event.


“We had one man who knew Father Kapaun and was so anxious to come, and his wife just called and said he had suffered a stroke two weeks ago, and they can’t make the trip,” Neuwirth said.


Military honors include a three-round volley fired by a squad of seven rifleman of a Ft. Riley artillery unit, a flag-folding ceremony by the Air Force 22nd Air Refueling Wing from McConnell and “Taps” played by music teacher Kenneth Roe and student Eric Peterson of Centre High School.


Eugene Kapaun will present Holy Family Parish with a medal awarded to the family in honor of his brother.


Eugene Kapaun and Oborny will unveil the statue and Gerber will bless the memorial.


“We are preparing for about 1,000 people to be here, depending on the weather,” she said.


And part of that preparation includes making more than 1,000 kolachis by the St. Anne’s Altar Society of St. John Nepomucene Church.


A kolachi is an Eastern European sweet pastry with a fruit topping in the center of the top.


“There aren’t any drinking fountains in Pilsen, so we have ordered 300 bottles of water in case it is a hot day. People will need lots of drinks,” Neuwirth said.


The statue was created by Daniel Hunt, assistant professor of sculpture at Kansas State University.


Neuwirth said last week her grandson, Mitchell Neuwirth, and his friend, John Barr, went with her to watch some of the final stages of the statue preparation.


“Daniel was so good with the boys,” she said. “He let them help to remove the plaster molds from the kiln, which was 450 degrees. After vacuuming the molds out, the boys helped to bury the molds in cool sand. Then they watched as he poured the 2,000-degree liquid bronze into the molds.”


After a cooling period, the boys helped to break open the cast and clean parts of the statue.


“This will be a wonderful memory for both of them,” Neuwirth said. “A memory for all of us.”

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