Camp Kapaun inspired by a venerable spirit

The Diocese of Wichita has long dreamed of owning a space where families and young people can step away from the distractions of everyday life and encounter Christ in the beauty of nature. That dream became a reality with the purchase of the Fr. Emil J. Kapaun Family & Youth Camp, a serene 150-acre property in Reno County that is already transforming lives and strengthening the diocese. As a key priority of the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign, Camp Kapaun is more than just a campground, it’s an investment in our faith – nurturing vocations, forming future Church leaders, and helping Catholics develop a deeper relationship with Christ. As Camp Kapaun grows, it promises to inspire a new wave of faithful disciples who will carry their faith into their families, parishes, and communities.  

The journey to owning a diocesan camp took years of patience, prayers, and discernment. For decades, Camp Totus Tuus – the diocese’s signature overnight youth summer camp – was held at a rented facility that could no longer meet the growing demand. “We could only host 84 campers per week, and that just wasn’t enough space for us anymore,” said Anthony Keiser, diocesan director of faith formation. 

“We had outgrown the facility.” With nearly 600 total spots filling up quickly each summer, the need for a larger, permanent home for diocesan youth camps and retreats became urgent. In 2022, that need was answered when Camp Kanza went up for sale. The property, rich in natural beauty, included a six-acre, spring-fed lake that sealed the deal.  

The diocese seized the opportunity to purchase and rename the property Camp Kapaun, honoring Fr. Emil J. Kapaun, a beloved diocesan priest and U.S. Army chaplain who died in a prisoner-of-war camp during the Korean War. He was declared venerable earlier this year as part of the path to sainthood. 

“Fr. Kapaun, as we know, grew up in Pilsen, in a great rural part of our diocese. A son of a farmer, he knew hard work and good fun. Back then, he would have enjoyed much of his free time outdoors.” Bishop Carl Kemme said. “I have every confidence that his virtue, on such full display in his earthly life, will be a catalyst for the very kind of virtue and Catholic life that we hope to inspire in our youth today.” 

With Camp Kapaun, the diocese can now host nearly 900 campers each summer – a significant increase over the rented campground and a total that will continue to grow. Eight million of the total $50 million dollars raised through the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign is designated for Camp Kapaun. These funds will cover the cost to acquire the camp, renovate existing facilities, construct four to six new cabins, and create an endowment that will help to offset the future costs of maintaining the camp and provide additional scholarships for those who need financial support to attend programming and events. 

“By the time we build out all of our desired cabins at Camp Kapaun, 16 cabins in total, we will be able to host about 1,750 campers in a summer for Camp Totus Tuus alone,” Keiser said. “These new cabins have been intentionally designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of attendees – including family campouts, high school students, overnight campers, and others seeking spiritual retreats.” 

Beyond the Fully Alive! Campaign, additional opportunities for future funding will include the construction of a new chapel, completion of additional cabins, and building of a new recreation building. 

Young people attending Camp Totus Tuus at Camp Kapaun during the summer return home with renewed faith, eager to share that joy with their families and parishes. Many of these campers become the future leaders and anchors of the diocese. 

“Camp is a place where souls are won over to Christ,” Keiser said. “The parish is a place where souls are built up to learn about him more deeply, and this campground is also a place where missionaries are sent out to do his work. The young adults who give of their time over the summer – whether they get married, become priests or religious sisters – they become real pillars in our Catholic community,” Keiser added. 

Camp Kapaun will be where some young adults figure out their pathes. Totus Tuus has proven to be a fertile ground for vocations, where young people see the priesthood and religious life as real and attainable. Having Camp Kapaun in our diocese expands these opportunities.

Fr. Drew Hoffman, chaplain at the St. Paul Catholic Student Center at Wichita State, credits his camp experience with leading him to his priestly vocation. “I became a camp counselor after my freshman year of college,” he said. “What that camp experience did was supercharge my faith, send it into overdrive. In my desire for service, my love for the Eucharist, and my interest in the priesthood – those three things all came together at camp.” 

Erin Dresher Dowell, parishioner at St. Joseph in Wichita and campaign volunteer leader, saw this firsthand in her family. She and her husband call their five children “Totus Tuus junkies,” and she added that her family’s camp experience planted seeds that have grown over the years. Her son, Zach, is a seminarian for the diocese and lives at the St. Joseph House of Formation, while her daughter, Abby, is about to graduate with a degree in theology and catechetics. 

“The diocese’s investment in Camp Kapaun is an investment in our kids and their faith today. I think kids are often taught indirectly and unintentionally that someday they will have something to contribute. Someday when they’re big enough they’ll be ready,” she said. “But it’s right now – those kids are just as much the Church, the Body of Christ, as I am.” 

Stacia and Jeff Wetta, parents of three and parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena in Wichita, admitted they were initially skeptical about the new campground, especially with so many needs around the diocese. After their youngest son, Ethan, attended camp last summer, their perspective changed. 

“Ethan was not on board with going to camp,” Stacia said. “But he had the best week of his summer! He loved every minute of it – it was such a great experience for him. It’s funny to think that a kid can change in a week, but he came home more confident and more connected to his faith.” The Wettas, who also serve as cabinet members for the Fully Alive! Campaign, see Camp Kapaun as a gift to the diocese where young people can encounter Christ and take their first steps in living out their faith. “I think it’s wonderful to provide kids with a safe space to experience what may be their first time away from home, to experience a few nights away from Mom and Dad, and to grow a little closer to God,” Stacia said.  

In a world where today’s culture often pulls young people away from their faith, Camp Kapaun stands as a place where faith is nurtured and strengthened. “We live in a world in which the general tide is not moving toward Christianity and the moral life. It’s just not,” Fr. Hoffman said. “If we send our young people out into the world and just hope that they end up being good people and good Catholics – well, it’s just not the way the tide is moving. If we don’t set up a path to move in another direction, we will get swept away. And if our young people get swept away, so does everyone else.” 

Camp Kapaun is more than a summer destination – it is a powerful tool for forming missionary disciples and building a vibrant Catholic community. It gives children and teens, as well as adults and families, a year-round environment where they can experience Christ through nature, prayer, and fellowship. The good that Camp Kapaun already brings to the diocese is only the beginning. As the camp continues to grow, it promises to shape the faith of countless young people, strengthen families, and inspire future leaders who will serve the Church for years to come. To learn more about the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign and other opportunities to support Camp Kapaun, please visit OneFamilyFullyAlive.org.