Remains of Kansas priest who died in Korean War identified

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – U.S. military officials say they have identified the remains of a Kansas priest who is being considered for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.

The Rev. Emil J. Kapaun, of Pilsen, Kansas, died as a prisoner of war during the Korean War.

The Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday that Pilsen’s remains were officially identified on Tuesday. The agency said Kapaun was captured while tending to soldiers near Unsan, North Korea, and continued to minister to fellow prisoners until he died of pneumonia on May 23, 1951.

In 1993, Pope John Paul II declared Father Kapaun a Servant of God, which is the first step toward sainthood