Camp Kapaun kicking into gear

As he addressed a few dozen faithful from the Diocese of Wichita amid tufts of cottonwood seeds drifting by in the spring breeze, Bishop Carl A. Kemme marveled that the dream of the Fr. Emil J. Kapaun Family & Youth Camp had become a reality.

“This is a big undertaking,” he said at the camp’s official dedication and blessing held there on Friday, May 23, the 74th anniversary of Fr. Emil Kapaun’s passing. “There are many places in the country where Catholic camps have existed and gone out of business. It’s not an easy endeavor to bring about. But since coming here 11 years ago and really getting an insider’s understanding of who we are as a diocese – and with our history of Totus Tuus, and our rural nature – it just seems so natural that this would be a next step for us, and another ministry that we would undertake.”

During his remarks to introduce the bishop, Vicar General the Very Rev. David Lies hearkened back to the project’s conceptual phase. Preliminary discussions about what would become Camp Kapaun considered places such as Fredonia or East Wichita, he said. 

“I remember several little field trips,” Fr. Lies said. “We kept things in mind and looked and waited. Nothing quite right seemed to present itself until former Camp Kanza became available. And so with patience, and I think God’s providence, we have been able to reap the benefits.”

Camp Kanza was a former 150-acre Boy Scout camp in Reno County that came with far more infrastructure than was available through other possible locations for the camp, Bishop Kemme noted. 

“It just didn’t seem like it was going to be feasible for us to build a camp from scratch. Accomplishing that from the ground up, would take generations,” he said. “Exploring the Camp Kanza possibility seemed like the most prudent thing. And that’s why all this has come about.”

The bishop lauded the indispensible part played by the diocese’s generous supporters who were participating in its capital campaign One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! He noted that the Diocese of Wichita’s mission – to grow together as one family, fully alive in Christ – steered the camp’s mission.

Bishop Kemme also credited Jeryl and Mark Huser from Sacred Heart Parish in Fredonia for helping plant the initial seed for what would become Camp Kapaun. Although Mark died in 2022, the bishop expressed confidence he was celebrating the new camp’s dedication. 

“We know Mark is smiling upon us now with great love and his intercession from his place in Heaven,” he said. “We are honored to bless this camp and get it started and help it realize all the hopes and dreams we have for it today and in the many years got come.”

Camp Totus Tuus Home

Camp Totus Tuus’ growth beyond its previous facilities provided another impetus for Camp Kapaun. Bishop Kemme expressed appreciation for the efforts of Fr. Bernard Gorges, who founded the Totus Tuus youth summer catechesis program and related summer camp. Fr. Gorges is currently the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Ost, 

“Thank you Fr. Bernie, for your vision,” the bishop said. “You are a hero in this. You are always going to be known as ‘Fr. Totus Tuus.’ Totus Tuus will not be the only thing that is going on out here, but it will be a huge, important part of it.”

The family of Joe and Lisa Metzen, parishioners of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Schulte, offered their perspective on the value of Camp Totus Tuus. Alongside their children – 11th grader Olivia, seventh grader Will, fifth grader Kate and third grader Ethan – the Metzen parents attested to the fruit Camp Totus Tuus had borne in their children.

In one example, Joe noted, Olivia returned from camp “telling us how much she wants to go to adoration more frequently because of the experience.”

Lisa cited the example of how camp Totus Tuus had familiarized Will with the Liturgy of the Hours. That experience proved valuable as she urged her son to seek divine assistance in tackling the demands of Middle School.

“We were discussing with him the need for turning to prayer and asking for Jesus’s help,” she said. “The very next morning, we found him in his room at 5:30 a.m., praying morning prayer and reading the daily readings.”

More to come

As Bishop Kemme climbed into the passenger seat of a golf cart to bless various far-flung locations throughout the camp, Anthony Keiser led a walking tour. Keiser, who will transition in July from directing the diocese’s office of faith formation to heading the Spiritual Life Center and Camp Kapaun, showed off the camp’s various features and discussed construction plans. 

At points throughout the tour, he highlighted the existing structures, along with plans for future buildings in both the near term, as well as the longer-term vision for the camp.

The campgrounds are slated for many improvements in the coming months as construction begins on new cabins made possible by the Fully Alive! Campaign. Thanks to generous campaign supporters – a mark that organizers say has surpassed more than 8,200 donors – the diocese will be able to host a variety of programs in a beautiful, quiet space to which the bishop has said he hopes people are drawn. Beyond the Fully Alive! Campaign, additional opporutnities for future funding will include the construction of a new chapel, completion of additional cabins, and a new recreation building. 

The good that Camp Kapaun is bringing to the Diocese of Wichita is only the beginning, campaign organizers say. As the camp continues to grow, they say it promises to shape the faith of countless young people, strengthen families, and inspire future leaders who will serve the future of the Church. More information about the One Family, Fully Alive in Christ! Campaign and other opportunities to support Camp Kapaun can be found at OneFamilyFullyAlive.org.