Pilsen was founded in 1874 by Bohemian families who bought railroad land in northern Marion County and named their settlement for Plzeň. Their brick church of St. John Nepomucene went up in 1914 and 1915, with carloads of brick hauled from the nearest depot at Lincolnville and much of the labor given by the parish, and an eleven-room rectory followed in 1924. Emil Kapaun was born in 1916 to Czech immigrant parents on a farm three miles southwest, finished Pilsen High School in 1930, said his first Mass in this church after his ordination and served as its assistant pastor.
He joined the Army as a chaplain in 1944, served in India, and returned to the Army in 1948. With the 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry at Unsan in North Korea on November 1 and 2, 1950, he stayed with the wounded when the able-bodied men were ordered out, and was captured. At Prison Camp 5 at Pyoktong he dug latrines, gathered wood, stole food for other prisoners and prayed with men of every faith. He died there on May 23, 1951. The Medal of Honor came in 2013. In 2021 the Defense Department identified his remains among unknowns buried in Honolulu, and he was buried in Wichita's cathedral. In 2025 Pope Francis declared him Venerable.
The museum fills the rectory where he lived. The Diocese of Wichita lists hours Thursday and Friday 1 to 4 and Saturday 10 to 1, with other times by appointment. The museum is not wheelchair accessible; the church has a ramp.
The closest stops worth working into your route
Roadside plaques and monuments within a short detour