Fr. John Bartunek, LC, S.Th.D, received his BA in History from Stanford University in 1990. He comes from an evangelical Christian background and became a member of the Catholic Church in 1991. After college, he worked as a high school history teacher, drama director, and baseball coach. He then spent a year as a professional actor in Chicago before entering the religious Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ in 1993. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 2003 and earned his doctorate in moral theology in 2010.
He provided spiritual support on the set of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ while researching the 2005 Catholic best seller, Inside the Passion, the only authorized, behind-the-scenes explanation of the film. Fr. John has contributed news commentary regarding religious issues on NBC, CNN, Fox, and the BBC. He also served as the English-language press liaison for the Vatican’s 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist.
His most widely known books are The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer and 60 Days to Becoming a Missionary Disciple.
His most recent book is Spiritual But Not Religious: The Search for Meaning in a Material World.
Fr. John resides in Atlanta and serves as Territorial Vicar for the Legionaries of Christ.
Dear Laurie, Sometimes we think we have to do extraordinary things in order to become saints. We read about those monks and hermits who slept sitting on the edges of
Dear Willy, Your recent note was most disappointing. It reminded me how little I have done to extend our Lord’s Kingdom in the hearts of my nephews and nieces.
Dear Nigil, I can picture you busily preparing your lessons, now that you have returned from your extended vacation (well earned, I might add, after your conscientiously laborious four years
Dear Pam, Did you ever notice how cheap words are these days? So many words. An endless flow of words. Words, words, words… Millions of books, billboards, radio programs, television
Dear Perry, If you had lived under the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, you would have had to pay for publicly acknowledging yourself as a Christian in
Dear Candy, My prayers for you are especially heartfelt today, the day on which the Church honors the religious Order of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. The Order was founded
Dear Bonnie, I am glad you decided to major in history. The ancients used to call history “magistra vitae” – the teacher of life. Indeed, an attentive study of past
Dear Cammie, If I knew you less than I do, I would think it quaint that you have taken a summer job as a hospitality manager in one of those
Dear Hank, Your sense of relief is somewhat disturbing. I commend you for your generosity in giving God and the Church the first chance, but now that two years of
Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.
In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.
Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.
From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.
Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!
