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 Sabine, From your latest note, it sounds to me like you’re a bit frazzled (as much as you tried to hide it). Final exams coming up, fellowship application deadlines,
Dear Joan, Thank you for the lovely e-card. I always knew you had true artistic talent, and every time you send me pieces of your work, my conviction is more
Dear Salvador, You say you have reached a “spiritual plateau.” Don’t bet on it. Just because you can’t see any progress doesn’t mean progress isn’t happening. Plants need to put
Dear Vivian, I know (really, I’m not kidding) how tempting it is. And what can do to help fortify you against the temptation? I could be rational, and explain how
Dear Nate, Remember, you can find only two kinds of people in the world: those in whom wisdom prevails, and those in whom wimpiness prevails. (You can’t really say that
Dear Andy, Relax. All that interior turbulence you are torturing yourself with is unnecessary; it certainly doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit (so you can guess which spirit it does
Dear Rod, Frustration, as you know (since I have told you so many times), is a function of expectations. Therefore, when frustration assails you, draining your energy, stealing your peace
Dear Seth, I think “outlawed” may be an exaggeration. Ok, the campus ministry office’s budget cuts have left your group homeless. Fine. But that doesn’t mean that you have to
Dear Hubert, Now begins the most difficult time of year for me, and I am truly sorry that it’s looking pretty bad for you at this time. From Thanksgiving 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!
