The family of a 9-year-old boy who disappeared in the Kansas River on Aug. 15 is planning a funeral Mass for him, as a scaled-down search continues on the river.

Three of Michael Zapletal’s brothers returned to classes at St. John Vianney Catholic School near Maple Hill this week, as did their father, John Zapletal, who teaches fifth and sixth grade at the school.

School had been scheduled to start Wednesday but was delayed one day as the search for Michael continued.

John Zapletal talked to students at the K-12 school on Thursday, said the Rev. Eric Flood, pastor of St. John Vianney Catholic Church.

“He said the students and teachers needed to get back to our schedule,” said Flood. “He said, ‘We can mourn and cry, or we can do what Mike would have wanted us to do, which is to strive to be good students like he was.”‘

Many of the students had attended public rosaries and church vigils for Michael.

“Part of the mission of the school is to get the students prepared for heaven,” Flood said. “Michael got called a little earlier than all of us.”

Michael disappeared while on an outing with his father, siblings and friends on the Kansas River just north of Maple Hill. A sand bar gave way while he and the rest of the group were preparing to go back to shore.

While a scaled-down search for Michael continues, arrangements are being made for a funeral Mass, Flood said.

“If the body is still not found by next Friday, we’re going to do a Mass at 11:30 a.m. on (Saturday),” he said. “We’ll do the Mass part. Then, when the body is found, we can do the burial.”

Rob Ladner, law enforcement supervisor with the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, said the search will continue through Sunday, then be reassessed on Monday if Michael’s body isn’t found.

In his 27 years with Wildlife & Parks, Ladner said he doesn’t recall having a search take this long.