[Deo gratias: Father Christian Kappes] located; makes it out of country safely
By Fox59
October 8, 2012
An Indiana priest feared to be in danger or even dead was located, the family told Fox59 Monday.
The family said Father Christian Kappes made contact with them Monday morning and made it safely out of the country.
For the past three years, Father Christian Kappes has been pursuing doctoral studies in Athens on behalf of the Vatican. However, last Saturday, the family reported Kappes frantically called them, stating there was escalating violence involving his friend and translator.
Kappes’ father, Virgil Kappes, recalled a conversation with his son, who called him from the U.S. Embassy in Greece. It was a conversation Virgil said haunted the entire family.
“He said, ‘They won’t let us stay. If I walk out of here I am dead dad. If you don’t hear from me in 12-24 hours, I’m dead,’” Virgil Kappes said.
Kappes’ family told Fox59 the priest and his translator attempted to get out of the country last Monday and fly to Indianapolis. However, they did not make it on a plane and no one heard from the two.
Since then, the family has worked tirelessly to find their loved one. They contacted the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. State Department and Greek authorities.