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 Bertha, I am distressed to hear that you have returned to your old, excessive ways. You are a college junior, my dear niece, not a hermit. Perhaps God is
Dear Marla, I hope your latest note was written in a bad mood, not after serious reflection. I realize that going back to a small town for vacation after your
Dear Drew, Now, now, there’s no need to be rash. Your freshman year has hardly begun. If you’ve had to brave the tempests of being misunderstood, rejected, sad, and a
Dear Clem, You are doing it again. Can’t you tell? You’re letting yourself get turned upside down, so that your Christian identity seems less and less important than your college
Dear Ophelia, Your sadness is understandable, but unnecessary and self-indulgent. Feeling inferior to the “aristocratic” type of student that seems to populate your college is a case of false humility.
Dear Preston, You shouldn’t agonize so much over your decision. I know that sounds strange, since your vocation is the most important decision you’ll have to make in your life.
Dear Fred, You mustn’t be discouraged by your small beginnings. Remember the mustard seed, my dear nephew. If your group is growing slowly, redouble your prayer and focus your efforts
Dear Linus, It’s never too late to follow God’s call. I know that you are well advanced in your Ph.D. studies, and having invested so much of your life in
Dear Roselyn, Thanks for your last note. You were wise to write. Your intuition didn’t fail you; your life, indeed, is on the edge. Without a doubt, the most prolific
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!
