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 Jack, Frankly, the tone of your last email was disturbing. Look, DISCERNING a vocation is not supposed to mean TOYING with a vocation. If I were the devil (which
Dear Tanya, I am delighted to see how much progress you’re making in the spiritual life. The complaint expressed in your last email was right on target. You are absolutely
Dear Odile, Two months have passed since your cousin died, and I am worried about you. You say that you haven’t been able to get rid of the “funk” of
Dear June, Happy birthday! It’s proof of your parents’ sense of humor that when you were born on July 1st they named you “June”. All I can say, though, is
Dear Tom, I can sympathize with you. There’s nothing more frustrating for someone as active and creative as yourself than not being able to find work. It’s a pity the
Dear Saul, I am surprised and pleased that you have already received your first promotion. Is it some kind of a record or something? Promoted after only six weeks on
Dear Leo, I don’t think you have to juggle quite as much as you think. True, your fledgling radio show takes time – you have to do enough background investigation
Dear Al, I think your frustration may be due to a subtle form of intemperance. It’s possible, you know, to be greedy in regards to money, or things, or honors,
Dear Joey, Do you know why you get frustrated? It’s always the same reason. Frustration always comes from unmet expectations. So, to get rid of the frustration you are feeling
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!
