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 Maurice, I commend you on your latest endeavor. Organizing an impromptu NGO out of your Catholic student union in order to make waves at the UN meeting to discuss
Dear Laura, Your last note made me sadder than I have been in a long time. Your defense of your “boyfriend,” as you call him (an odd name for someone
Dear Scott, So you’re “restless and pessimistic” in “this dreary winter desolation which these barbaric Yankees call New England,” are you? I was glad at least to see that you
Dear Lana, Great to hear that your training is paying off. You can bet I’ll be rooting for you during the Olympic trials (they’re coming up pretty soon, aren’t they?),
Dear Jerry, Don’t give up on Clarence. Though he persists in his irreligion and immorality, your prayers, example, and friendship (as long as you don’t get sucked into his sinful
Dear Roy, I was shocked by a note I recently received from your sister. She dutifully informed me that you are living like a squalid caliph – sloppy, slovenly, and
In the tradition of his popular Bible study devotional The Better Part, in 40 Days to Peace and Union with God, Fr. John Bartunek, LC, offers daily Lenten meditations to
Dear Michelle, Your latest note contained a large amount of gossip. It makes interesting reading for me, and I will certainly not be passing on anything you said to anyone
Dear Ann, I just received the horrid news. I knew that Steven was traveling in Europe during these months, but I didn’t know that his travels were in response to
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!
