By MINDY KEPFIELD

Staff writer

Jack Korbel had been so inspired by Father Kapaun’s life he decided to name his son after him long before a medical emergency led to the boy’s 10-weeks-early delivery.

A Wichita resident, Korbel prayed for Kapaun’s intercession the eight weeks his baby was in neonatal intensive care.

Far from placing Father Kapaun on the same level as God, Catholics ask him to pray for them when they seek his intercession — the same way someone might ask a friend to pray for them, Kapaun museum volunteer Harriet Bina explained earlier this year.

“They are asking Father Kapaun, who we believe is in heaven with God, to take their prayers directly to God and place them at the foot of his throne, asking God to please hear and answer their prayer,” Bina said.

Korbel’s prayers were answered. His son is now a healthy, happy 4-year-old.

Korbel has a day job as a speech pathologist but also is a singer-songwriter who performs folk influenced songs with his band, the Jack Korbel Confluence.

Korbel’s performance of a song he wrote about Kapaun brought the crowd gathered Saturday night on the lawn at Alvin and Barb Kroupa’s farm just west of Marion to its feet in a standing ovation. He was humbled by the applause.

Korbel is just grateful his family pulled through scary time.

“I just have a real devotion to father Kapaun,” Kobel said as he prepared to spend another day walking to honor the priest he believed helped get his prayers answered.

“I just appreciate his example of heroic virtue. Isn’t that largely what a saint is?”