The Miracle of Father Kapaun: Priest, Soldier, and Korean War Hero, by Roy Wenzl and Travis  Heying. Ignatius Press, 2009. 

   This is yet another book of the Korean War hero , Father Emil Kapaun who saved the lives of many wounded in battles and who brought consolation to scores more in prison camps. Recently President Obama awarded this deceased hero the Congressional Medal of Honor, and after being declared Venerable by the Catholic Church in 1993, is now being considered a candidate for canonization.

(The name Emil holds precious memories  for me because it was the name of my holy father, my special brother Emil Jr who showed great valor and accepted death in World War II, and a nephew Emil who joined and presently serves in the Crosier Brotherhood in Onamia, MN. It is an honor to review one of the books about a man named Emil).

   A farmer's son who grew up in Pilsen, Kansas, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, joined the military chaplaincy, served in war torn areas in India and Burma, left the service, did graduate work in Catholic University in Washington D .C., served as a parish priest in Timken and Pilsen, rejoined the military, captured while serving in North Korea, and died in a Korean prison camp after suffering terrible atrocities. Father Kapaun became known as a compassionate priest who was more interested in the afflictions of others that his own frail health which had developed under inhuman living conditions and lack of food and medicine.
   Several soldiers who had served with Father Kapaun are currently being featured in various books and newspapers, telling stories how Father Kapaun saved their lives by securing food, water, clothing, and spiritual assistance for them when they were considered to be dying. A young lady called Avery Gerleman developed a strange disease and lingered on the brink of death for months, and Chase Kear had a serious brain injury in pole vaulting. Both had families and friends who prayed incessantly for their recovery through the intercession of Father Kapaun. Both are in good health today and claim miracles from Father Kapaun.
   A story is told of a conversation Kapaun had with a soldier on the battle field that he really could have escaped military duty. The soldier asked him why he stayed in the service. Kapaun said that serving in parishes "just didn't work out". Then with a broad smile he said, "Have you ever had to deal with one of those womens' committees of a church altar Society?"
   A great football hero named McGreevy from Maryland sustained a terrible injury on his legs and lay in a prison, unable to stand or walk, awaiting death. This was shortly after Father Kapaun's death. McGreevy, a Catholic, knew about praying to saints, or to one in heaven who had the ear of God.  He thought that Father Kapaun fit that description and McGreevy became probably the first person who prayed this prayer, "Father Kapaun, help me". Then for the first time in weeks, McGreevy stood up. He came home to tell his story. 



St. Augustine of Canterbury (- d. 605): May 27

In the year 596, some 40 monks set out from Rome to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England. Leading the group was Augustine, the prior of their monastery in Rome. Hardly had he and his men reached Gaul (France) when they heard stories of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons and of the treacherous waters of the English Channel. Augustine returned to Rome and to the pope who had sent them--St. Gregory the Great (September 3 )--only to be assured by him that their fears were groundless.

Augustine again set out. This time the group crossed the English Channel and landed in the territory of Kent, ruled by King Ethelbert, a pagan married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert received them kindly, set up a residence for them in Canterbury and within the year, on Pentecost Sunday, 597, was himself baptized. After being consecrated a bishop in France, Augustine returned to Canterbury, where he founded his see. He constructed a church and monastery near where the present cathedral, begun in 1070, now stands. As the faith spread, additional sees were established at London and Rochester.

Work was sometimes slow and Augustine did not always meet with success. Attempts to reconcile the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original Briton Christians (who had been driven into western England by Anglo-Saxon invaders) ended in dismal failure. Augustine failed to convince the Britons to give up certain Celtic customs at variance with Rome and to forget their bitterness, helping him evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors

Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary principles--quite enlightened for the times-suggested by Pope Gregory the Great: purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be transformed into Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after he arrived in England, would eventually bear fruit long after in the conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the "Apostle of England."