About the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, Kansas
The first Catholic church was constructed in Wichita in 1872 and the Cathedral parish was founded in 1887. It is also known as Saint Mary’s Cathedral. The Cathedral features beautiful stained glass windows installed in 1927 that were designed by the Franz Mayer Company of Munich, Germany. Mayer was one of the most famous stained glass designers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These stained glass windows depict two of the sets of the mysteries of the Rosary. The windows on the left side (east) depict the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Beginning on the south side (nearest the altar) they are: The Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus, the Presentation, and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The windows on the right side (west) are the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary. Beginning at the front doors of the cathedral (northwest corner) they are: The Resurrection of Jesus, the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven, the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven.
In the east transept (viewer’s left, facing the altar), you come to the Paschal Mystery Shrine, one of the two major devotional shrines in the cathedral. Jesus Christ crucified is the central figure of this shrine area. The statue of Jesus is 7-feet, 6-inches tall and weighs 500 pounds. The cross is about 13 1/2 by 9 feet. The back of the cross is fiberglass formed to make it look as if the cross where a rough-cut log. Two steel beams in the form of a cross are in the middle of the fiberglass and wood to support the bronze corpus of Jesus. The front of the cross for the crucifixion scene is made of wood shipped from Israel. The stones at the base of the crucifix taken from the Jordan River. The 12 stones were shipped from Israel to represent the 12 tribes, 12 apostles, and other Biblical images. The statue was brought here by the artist on a trailer behind his diesel-powered pickup from Mt. Angel Abbey in St. Benedict, Oregon over the Rocky Mountains to the plains of the Midwest to deliver the art to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
There are three subtle details to this crucifix: The wood of the cross is made from pine from Israel; the stones at the base of the crucifix taken from the Jordan River; finally, the nameplate that hangs on the top of the cross, The Titulus, stating, “Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews” [John 19:19]. St. John testifies in his Gospel that the original nameplate was inscribed in three languages Aramaic, Latin and Greek [see John 19:20]. It is inscribed on one side with first line in Aramaic and reversed script. The second line is written in Greek letters and reversed script, the third in Latin letters, also with reversed script. The original nameplate can be found in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, Italy
The seven stars in the mural refer to the seven churches in the book of Revelation [1:4]. The seven stars can be found in three places in our cathedral’s art: the murals above the baptismal font, in the dome and in the resurrection mural in the Paschal Mystery Shrine.
The passion and death of Christ portray the horror of sin and its effects; this is the just punishment for offending God in sin. It also portrays divine love, which is the only explanation for God humbling himself to become man and to suffer the punishment due to sin.
The events of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus are all together referred to as the paschal mystery [a word derived from Passover, celebrating the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt].
The mystery and this shrine area speaks to all men and women: Jesus identifies with our experience of suffering; we in our turn can identify with Jesus and join our sufferings to his, making up for what is lacking for the benefit of others [see Colossians 1:24]; suffering and death is not futile or final, rather as Jesus was victorious so shall we be.
Mary Shrine:
As you look toward the west transept (viewer’s right, facing the altar), you see the Mary shrine containing a sculpture of the Holy Family, and images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of La Vang. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the central figure in this shrine area. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the central figure in this shrine area. Saint Joseph is part of the sculpture, but he stands behind Mary to express his role as spouse of the Virgin and guardian of the Redeemer, Jesus. Mary is depicted as being pregnant with her child Jesus. As this shrine portrays the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, it can be said to honor marriage and family life as well. The sculpture depicts Mary as gazing and ever so gently pointing across the main body of the cathedral to the east transept, to the Paschal Mystery shrine. This, even as devotion brings people to Mary, looking to her example and asking her for prayers, Mary will always direct people to her Son Jesus, to know, love and serve him.
The salvation won by the Paschal Mystery of Christ is central to the Catholic Faith, but it was prepared for first of all by Mary’s Immaculate Conception in her mother’s womb: the sinless mother of the Savior from sin. And it was also prepared for by the virginal conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb: God became man, like humans in all ways except sin, so that his flesh could be nailed to the Cross and his blood poured out to save from sin and death.
There are other rich, but subtle symbols contained in the statue such as the serpent under Mary’s feet referencing Genesis 3:15, the seven lilies of the valley flowers (also known as Our Lady of Tears flowers) anticipating the seven sorrows of Mary.
St. Joseph is part of the sculpture, but he stands behind Mary to express his role as spouse of the Virgin and guardian of the Redeemer, Jesus. Mary is depicted as being pregnant with her child Jesus. As this shrine portrays the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, it can be said to honor marriage and family life as well. Look closely at St. Joseph’s arm holding the carpenters tool. It might look familiar as it is inspired by Michelangelo’s statue David in Florence. This subtle detail reminds us that St. Joseph was a “son of David” (Matthew 1:20). Notice the three nails in Joseph’s pocket. They remind us of the nails used to nail Jesus to the cross.
In addition to this sculpture, this shrine area has two other images of Mary: one depicting her as Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is honored as Queen of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas, reflecting the Hispanic presence in the Diocese of Wichita; the other depicting her as Our Lady of La Vang, who is honored in Vietnam, reflecting the Vietnamese presence in the diocese.
The Dome:
When you look up into the dome from the center of the Cathedral, it depicts God the Father, shown with arms outstretched in a gesture of welcome and blessing.
The seven stars in the mural refer to the seven churches in the book of Revelation [1:4]. The seven stars can be found in three places in our cathedral’s art: the murals above the baptismal font, in the dome and in the resurrection mural in the Paschal Mystery Shrine.
Inlay beneath the Dome: The cross of course is central to who we are as disciples, but it is made up of acanthus leaves which brings in the resurrection. We have acanthus leaves all over the place in the architecture and windows. The cross pulls together the dying and rising to new life of baptism and the sacrifice of the altar [our north-south axis]. The lilies on the arms of the cross are symbols of Mary reaching out to the two transepts in the cathedral, tying those moments together [our east-west axis].
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Directly beneath the high central dome, at the top of the pillars holding up the dome, are depicted the four evangelists: St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John. It is appropriate to associate the evangelists with the four main pillars that support the dome of the cathedral. They are rightly regarded as pillars of the church because they committed to writing the witness of the Apostles about who Jesus is, what he taught, what he did, and what he asks of his followers. The four gospels preserve for people of every place and time the saving truths and life of holiness taught by the Lord Jesus.
The image of St. Matthew is purposefully positioned above the ambo because his gospel is known as the “Gospel of the Church.” It is the only gospel that contains the word “church” or “ekklesia” in Greek, (Matthew 16:18 and 18:17). Jesus uses the term to describe the community of believers he would build. The Catholic Church has traditionally cited St. Matthew’s Gospel in preaching and teaching.
On either side of the sanctuary, at the head of the ramps providing access, are two niches or recesses. Inspired by a mosaic in the church of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy, the niches are painted to depict a procession toward the altar of angels and saints, each bearing a gift, like wheat for bread or grapes for wine.
The doors to the Cathedral are an attraction in themselves:
The bronze doors, designed and created by the Italian company Domus Dei, were installed in 1997 as a replacement for the original wooden doors. These doors depict a number of important figures in the life of our faith, both historically and in the Church in the United States. The doors on the east and west depict the diverse nature of the Church in America honoring people of all ages and ethnicities.
The center or main doors depict the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and complement the windows of the cathedral, which depict the Joyful (east side of church) and the Glorious (west side of church) Mysteries. The five Sorrowful Mysteries are: 1) The Agony in the Garden (lower left), 2) The Scourging at the Pillar (upper right), 3) The Crowning with Thorns (upper left), 4) Jesus Carries His Cross (lower right), 5) Jesus Dies on the Cross (upper center).
The west doors depict three more saints and one more holy man who were again important to the local Church in Wichita. The three saints are: 1) St. Frances Cabrini (1850-1917), 2) St. Peter Claver (1580-1654), and 3) St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680). The holy man is Fr. Juan de Padilla (1500-1542).
The east doors depict three saints and one holy man who are important to the local church in Wichita. The three saints are: 1) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1714-1821), 2) St. Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852), and 3) St. Juan Diego (1474-1548). The holy man is Servant of God, Fr. Emil Kapaun (1916-1951).
Although the Cathedral is famous in its own right, it is perhaps most notable for the tomb of Father Emil Kapaun.
About Father Emil Kapaun:
Kapaun was a chaplain in the Burma Theater of World War II, then served again as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea. Father Kapaun tended to his chaplaincy duties with fierce devotion. All the while he experienced first-hand the horrors of the Korean War: hundreds of dead and wounded soldiers, men utterly exhausted and shellshocked from battle, South Korean refugees fleeing their homes, extreme heat and mosquitoes in summer and wet, rainy days during the fall, frequent lack of sleep and food, and the constant nerve-racking noise and confusion of battle. Given the gravity of the situation on the ground, Father Kapaun spurred into action, and for four months, he tended to hundreds of dead and wounded soldiers amid extreme heat and torrential rain. Father Kapaun risked his life to offer the sacraments to troops hidden in fox holes, carrying wounded soldiers on his back and burying the dead — from both sides — at the height of the Korean War. He also took time to write personal letters to families of servicemen who had died, to offer loved ones the knowledge that their child or spouse had died with the consolation of the last rites — and with a priest at his side.
He quickly earned a reputation for being a fearless soldier who risked his life to minister to the men fighting on the front lines. Brushes of death were extremely common for the chaplain priest.
Coming under enemy fire while rescuing his men, he barely escaped a sniper who knocked his tobacco pipe out of his mouth. On another occasion, he lost all of his possessions, including his Mass kit and Jeep. After this, he always carried the Blessed Sacrament and the vessels for Mass on his body, along with his confession stole and holy oils.
Along with praying with men in foxholes and saying Mass on the battlefield (oftentimes using the hood of his Jeep as the altar), Chaplain Kapaun would risk his life to administer the sacraments to the dying, to retrieve wounded soldiers, and to bury the dead- ally and enemy alike.
Captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp (basically a death sentence for many soldiers) he continued to minister to his fellow captives. Father Kapaun kept hundreds of his fellow soldiers alive, and instilled the will to live in thousands more, by stealing food for their shriveled bodies and saying Mass and ministering to their crushed souls.
When his captors decided they had had enough of the defiant priest, they removed him from the group. As he was carried away by stretcher—starved, sick and unable to stand—to die alone in a fetid death house, his fellow prisoners wept. They were Catholics and Christians, Jews and Muslims—all touched deeply by this remarkable priest. Father Kapaun astonished them once more when he forgave his tormentors before them and asked them to forgive him.
Fr. Kapaun died on May 23, 1951 (age 35 years) in Pyoktong County, North Korea. Father Emil Kapaun’s remains were returned to the U.S. in September 2021 after the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) positively identified him in March 2021. He was identified using DNA from remains disinterred in 2019 from a “unknown” grave in Punchbowl Cemetery in Hawaii. They were later discovered there and returned to his home town of Wichita.
He was proclaimed Servant of God in 2013 by Pope John Paul II, the first step on the road to Sainthood.
Note: While there is no official liturgical feast day for a Servant of God, popular devotion often celebrates them on the anniversary of their death, known as their “dies natalis” or birth into heaven. These commemorations are personal or local, not universal, as the Church awaits miracles to confirm sanctity.
You can read more about Servant of God Emil Kapaun here.
Traveling to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita, Kansas
Address: 430 N Broadway St, Wichita, KS 67202
Tel: +1 (316) 263-6574
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