Painting of Fr. Emil Kapaun

A future saint’s beginning: Fr. Emil Kapaun

In the mural painted by artist Wendy Lewis, an angel clutches the same crucifix Emil Kapaun was ordained underneath in St. John’s Chapel in 1940.
Fall 2025 | Section: Faith
By Amy Brooks
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On June 9, 1940, a young Emil Kapaun knelt before the altar in St. John’s Chapel on the Newman campus and rose a Catholic priest. Eighty-five years later, Newman honors the legacy of the man many call a hero — and future saint.

Like many Newman students, Kapaun studied under the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who founded Newman in 1933. As a visual testament to Kapaun’s vocational beginnings, artist Wendy Lewis painted a vibrant mural. The piece, which measures 12 feet tall by 4 ½ feet wide, was installed in 2009.

“It was underneath that cross 85 years ago that Kapaun lay prostrate, symbolizing the beginning of a life given completely to Christ,” Newman Chaplain Father Ed Herzog said. “He laid down his life first at the altar — and later on the battlefield.”

In February 2025, Kapaun was declared “Venerable” by the late Pope Francis, which marked a significant step on the path to sainthood.

“Kapaun gave everything,” Herzog said. “Now it’s our turn to carry that legacy forward.”