A Shepherd in Combat Boots


Book Description

Early in the Korean War Chinese forces surrounded troops of the 1st Cavalry Division. Try to escape, the American soldiers warned catholic Chaplain Emil Kapaun. However, he refused to leave his wounded comrades and became a POW. His decision marked a turning point in the inspiring life of this young priest. Kapaun's faith and courage on the battlefield and in prison set an example for hundreds of young American captives. When they were starving, he stole food for them. If the men needed encouragement, he defied prison rules and prayed with them. When the communist guards mocked his faith in God, the chaplain publicly defended his heliefs. When Kapaun became sick, the communists denied him medicine and watched him die in their vermin-infested hospital. However, they could not extinguish the memories of how he served other prisoners. The Army awarded the chaplain the Distinguished Service Cross and the Vatican named him Servant of God. This book is a well-documented biography of an extraordinary person.




The Story of Chaplain Kapaun, Patriot Priest of the Korean Conflict


Book Description

Daring and devoted, Father Kapaun (pronounced Cape'n) gave his all for the men who were imprisoned with him in North Korea. "He saved my life," was the statement of hundreds who were dragged from the battlefield by him, who were nursed back to health, fed with the food he had "stolen," who were given the will to live and the hope of freedom by this kindly priest. All creeds, colors and classes shared in the kindness and inspiration of this man of God. "100% man," "An inspiration," "A saint." No praise is too great from the men who were with him. Reading the story of Chaplain Kapaun will inspire you. At the time this book was originally published in 1954, The author, Father Arthur Tonne, had authored 22 books, mostly volumes of sermons and collections of stories for preaching and teaching. After five years of teaching, he organized and directed for thirteen years the Newman Club att Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, where he gave more than 300 talks over radio station KTSW. He had preached missions and retreats in 22 states, and had spoken to numerous university, civic, and fraternal groups. As pastor of St. John Nepomucene, the Pilsen Catholic Church, the home parish of Chaplain Kapaun, he was in an ideal position to secure the material and background for this account of an outstanding patriot.




The Saint Makers


Book Description

Part biography of a wartime adventurer, part detective story, and part faith journey, this intriguing book from a New York Times journalist and bestselling author takes us inside the modern-day making of a saint. The Saint Makers chronicles the unlikely alliance between Father Hotze and Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, a country priest and a cosmopolitan Italian canon lawyer, as the two piece together the life of a long dead Korean War hero and military chaplain and fashion it into a case for eternal divinity. Joe Drape offers a front row seat to the Catholic Church's saint-making machinery—which, in many ways, has changed little in two thousand years-and examines how, or if, faith and science can co-exist. This rich and unique narrative leads from the plains of Kansas to the opulent halls of the Vatican, through brutal Korean War prison camps, and into the stories of two individuals, Avery Gerleman and Chase Kear, whose lives were threatened by illness and injury and whose family and friends prayed to Father Kapaun, sparking miraculous recoveries in the heart of America. Gerleman is now a nurse, and Kear works as a mechanic in the aerospace industry. Both remain devoted to Father Kapaun, whose opportunity for sainthood relies in their belief and medical charts. At a time when the church has faced severe scandal and damage, and the world is at the mercy of a pandemic, this is an uplifting story about a priest who continues to an example of goodness and faith. Ultimately, The Saint Makers is the story of a journey of faith—for two priests separated by seventy years, for the two young athletes who were miraculously brought back to life with (or without) the intercession of the divine, as well as for readers—and the author—trying to understand and accept what makes a person truly worthy of the Congregation of Saints in the eyes of the Catholic Church.




The Grunt Padre


Book Description

"Previously distributed as a masters thesis by the same title"--T.p. verso. Includes index. Chaplains, Military -- Biography.




Growing Disciples Organically


Book Description

"Follow me." These two simple words spoken by Jesus are often needlessly complicated with theological, psychological, and sociological interpretations. Using metaphors from organic farming, Don Detrick believes that a less complicated, organic approach for growing disciples makes sense. Maybe Jesus just wants us to simply accept the clear invitation to follow him, and experience the excitement and adventure of the journey. Don's powerful book on spiritual formation is uniquely positioned for such a time as this in the church, as younger generations are discovering that bigger churches do not guarantee spiritual formation in the life of attendees, nor do they equate greater numbers with greater levels of spiritual passion. Growing Disciples Organically addresses these honest questions: Why don't people act more like Jesus after spending a lifetime attending or actively engaged in a local church? Why can't we see that another sermon or class, however well intentioned, may not result in significant spiritual growth? Why is it difficult to face the fact that more commitment, trying harder, or more activity may not result in increased spiritual growth? Why are we reluctant to admit that we may not have all the answers? This book is intended to help people in church leadership ask, "How is our present strategy of creating disciples working for us?" Pastors, leaders and any follower of Christ will find Dr. Don Detrick's book important and compelling as it offers a fresh approach to effective, time-proven, and biblically-based methods for spiritual growth. Don Detrick has spent more than thirty years in ministry as a pastor of churches. He currently serves as one of three executive officers for a network of more than 300 churches and over 1400 credentialed ministers in the Northwest. In this role he serves as CFO, oversees credentialing, and is involved in speaking, conflict management, coaching, consulting, and training pastors and churches. In addition, he is a board member for his national denomination and an adjunct professor for Northwest University, Kirkland, WA, and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, MO. Detrick holds a doctor of ministry degree in leadership and master of divinity (equiv.) from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, a master's degree in counseling from Luther Rice Seminary, and a BS in pastoral ministries from Eugene Bible College and a BA in Bible from Baptist Christian College.




Kapaun's Battle


Book Description

Kapaun's Battle is a powerful testament to the heroism of US Army Chaplain Emil Kapaun (Medal of Honor). The story follows him, from the start of the Korean War until his death as a Prisoner of War in a Communist Chinese Prison Camp in 1951, following the destruction of the 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment of the US 1st Cavalry Division in November 1950. Written by Screenplay Writer Jess Gress, this is the story of a true American hero. This is the story of a young man, from a humble Kansas farming family, whose Catholic faith led him to the priesthood. Kapaun became an Army Chaplain in Southeast Asia during World War II and then a parish priest. He volunteered to return to the Army as tensions rose on the Korean Peninsula. It is the story of Father Emil Kapaun's selfless bravery and dedication to the men he ministered to during the Forgotten War. In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Father Kapaun a Servant of God, the first stage on the path to canonization. In 2013, Kapaun posthumously received the Medal of Honor from President Obama for his actions in Korea. He was the ninth American military chaplain Medal of Honor recipient. Although this book is relevant to every freedom-loving American and indeed people worldwide, it is especially intended for the enlightenment of students in schools and universities, along with members of religious congregations and military personnel, to the incredible impacts that one humble, pious American can have on the lives of so many by sacrificing his for them.




Saints Behaving Badly


Book Description

Takes a close-up look at thirty-two holy men and women who took a less than saintly path on their road to sainthood, profiling St. Olga, St. Mary of Egypt, Thomas … Becket, and other sinners-turned-saint. 20,000 first printing.




A Saint Among Us


Book Description




History of the Catholic Church


Book Description

A comprehensive history of the Catholic Church from its beginnings in Jesus' ministry to its current status in an increasingly secular world.




The Next Pope


Book Description

Watch the Highlights Video of the June 24 live panel discussion from Rome.??????? When Pope Francis' pontificate has passed, it's very likely that one of the nineteen cardinals featured in these pages will be elected to become the next Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, the spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics and the most influential and widely respected moral and religious figure in the world. Yet outside the Vatican walls, despite the considerable roles that some of these men play in the Church and in the world, few of them are known by the public — or even by their brother cardinals. Hence this book, an engrossing and thoroughly documented instrument through which a future pope may be known in that sphere that matters most: his life and service, first as a priest, and then as a bishop. Written by the National Catholic Register's longtime Rome correspondent, Edward Pentin, in collaboration with an international team of qualified scholars, these encyclopaedic pages present you with the fruit of years of research. Each cardinal profile begins with a brief biography that sketches the major points of his ecclesiastical life. Then comes a detailed, richly footnoted report and assessment of his three fundamental roles as a successor to the apostles: his sanctifying role as a priest, his governing role as a bishop, and his prophetic role as a teacher. As an important bonus, these pages also carefully document many of the candidates' published views on moral and theological issues currently debated in the Church and in the public arena, as such views often reveal most efficiently the individual's true character and deepest held beliefs. Finally, each profile concludes with a summary, recapitulating the main points brought to light by the thorough research, giving readers and tomorrow's cardinal electors a fair and accurate picture of the man who may soon become The Next Pope.