“The Eight Stations of Advent” is a beautiful devotional booklet written by Fr. John Bartunek, LC. This booklet will help in your prayerful preparation for Christmas and it is a great Lectio Divina to use during Advent. See excerpt below:
In Advent we pay special attention to three comings of Christ: his first coming in Bethlehem, his final coming at the end of history, and his coming here and now in our hearts through the Church’s liturgical celebrations. Christ’s comings are the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem the fallen human family. The redemption culminated in Christ’s resurrection from the dead, which happened on the first day of the week, also referred to by theological tradition as the “eighth day” – the day after the Sabbath, which was the seventh day of the ancient Jewish week.With that in mind, we have produced this little booklet with the Eight Stations of Advent for you. The introduction explains the elements of each Station and how to use them. We sincerely hope that this little devotion will help you live this Advent and Christmas more deeply, peacefully, and meaningfully than ever before.
Learn more below from Fr. John Bartunek about this beautiful new devotional!
Q: My mother is a Baptist convert to Catholicism. My father no longer practices Catholicism and is now some manner of evangelical Protestant. Growing up, I was raised in the Church until about age 13, and then my parents divorced. After the divorce, I mostly lived with my mother, but we moved and never really developed any connection to a church community. We went to random Catholic churches on Sunday, and as a kid I was never involved in Catholicism beyond Mass. My confirmation consisted of basically being home-schooled from the catechism by my mom and then being confirmed in a totally different part of the state by a priest related to my mother. After confirmation I had almost no personal interaction with the Church, and to make things more confusing, my mother sent me to a private Protestant school with really pronounced religious education. I feel tremendous guilt for my lack of any real faith to speak of, but my messy upbringing left me with a lot of theological and philosophical inconsistencies, and I’m not sure what to make of any of it. Now I am in my 20s and kind of outside the Church but also feeling as though I was never in the Church to start with. – A.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: I’m sorry to hear about your family situation. It is understandable that you feel disconnected from the Church, having moved around a lot and having parents with diverse religious practices.
If you were baptized and confirmed as a Catholic, you are certainly considered part of the Church. The Church considers you a beloved son. And even though you might not feel connected to God, God is definitely interested in helping you develop a relationship with him. In fact, your own sense of dissatisfaction with your current spiritual state is probably a kind of nudge from the Holy Spirit, deep in your soul, inviting you to take some steps toward a deeper encounter with the Lord: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
It sounds as though it would help you a lot to try to learn more about the faith and to come back to the sacraments and Mass attendance on a regular basis. Jesus gives us the sacraments to help us on our journey through life.
Maybe a few suggestions would help you right now.
First, it would be good to try to find a parish or, if you are in college, a Catholic center where you can attend Mass and speak with the pastor or chaplain. It helps enormously if to live the faith within a community.
Second, it might help to join an RCIA or some other kind of group where you could learn more about the faith. A Catholic should keep studying about the faith throughout the whole of life.
Third, it might help to try to network with other young Catholics, perhaps through volunteer work. This builds community life and can put you in the company of people who are serious about their faith.
Fourth, it would be helpful to dedicate time each day to prayer and a bit of Scripture reading. At the heart of the Catholic faith is Jesus, the Son of God who suffered and died for our redemption. You want to get to know him through the Gospels and to speak to him in prayer. He is your best friend.
A book that might help you “pray” the Gospels is The Better Part.
And stay close to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the rosary. She will guide you.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to AskAPriest@rcspiritual.wpenginepowered.com and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
This is the story of a small-town girl from Connecticut and her symbiotic relationship with Regnum Christi and the Legion of Christ.
The relationship is symbiotic in that both parties have been beneficiaries and the life of neither would have been the same over the past three decades absent what each has contributed to the other.
The small-town girl is long-since grown into a wife, mother and owner of her own successful business. She is Candy Nesbit, who for more than three decades has been the travel agent, meeting planner, event creator and sometimes, Cheshire house mom to the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi in North America – and often the rest of the world.
But to understand Candy’s story, you have to start with Charles Lucore. And to understand his story, you have to peel back one more layer in the history of Cheshire, CT.
Cheshire, CT
In March of 1957, the La Salette Missionaries bought 106 acres of farmland at 475 Oak Avenue in Cheshire. The property included a farmhouse, barn, silo and shed. They blessed the property and over the next couple years built a seminary for 125 young men.
Things went well for a few years, but declining vocations to the order forced a decision to close the facility. However, there was another religious congregation that was growing and leased a portion of the property in 1977, and eventually purchased the entire property and expanded the building.
That growing congregation was the Legion of Christ. And in addition to acquiring the property, the Legion made the wise decision to retain the relationship the La Salettes had with a local entrepreneur, plumber, electrician, and building owner: the afore-mentioned Chuck Lucore.
Chuck Lucore
Chuck helped the Legion run the facility and had become coach and mentor to the priests and brothers, teaching them how to repair things that broke – and how to maintain things so they didn’t break in the first place. He was a rather lukewarm Catholic when his relationship with the Legion began. But over the years, the exposure to the Legionaries brought him back to the faith with strength and gratitude.
In addition to helping the Legionaries directly, Chuck recommended a local travel agent, the afore-mentioned Candy Nesbit. This isn’t surprising; Chuck, who passed away in 2010, was Candy’s dad.
Candy Nesbit
During her high-school years in Cheshire, Candy worked in the local grocery store. She got to knowpretty much everyone in town. She went on to nearby Briarwood College for her degree, then started working at a travel agent.
Candy loved to travel and spent two years learning the business. Then her father intervened (he was the local businessman) and told her she ought to go out on her own and have her own agency. He sweetened the deal by offering her free rent in one of his properties.
Thus was born Elite Travel Inc. It was 1980, the early years of the Legion seminary in Cheshire, and she became the person who booked travel for the priests and brothers, helping them plan events, and (little-by-little) becoming a key resource for the Legion – and eventually Regnum Christi – in the North American Territory.
Candy’s First Assignment
Her first “big” assignment came in 1991. On the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Legion of Christ, Saint Pope John Paul II ordained 60 new priests in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. At the same time, the first world Regnum Christi event was held in Rome, gathering thousands of members.
Candy’s assignment was to get 500 North Americans to Rome and back. In addition to making sure they were housed, fed and cared for in Rome and, as she recalls, “don’t do anything to embarrass the Legion.”
That event remains Candy’s most memorable – despite dozens of major events since – because it was the first, involved the ordination of many Legionaries she had known for years, and was a big step in deepening her own spiritual life.
Incorporating into Regnum Christi
During the week, an opportunity arose for the North American participants to incorporate in Regnum Christi. Fr. Lorenzo Gomez, LC, tried to convince her to join, but there was so much chaos with the travel details that she had to handle and she was just too busy, so it didn’t happen. She also had been working a rather challenging schedule for the entire trip: in bed at 2 a.m. and up at 7 a.m.
Several years later, Candy planned a similar event for ordinations in Mexico City. Again, there was an opportunity to incorporate in Regnum Christi and she agreed. Ironically, the priest who guided her through the ceremony was…Fr. Lorenzo Gomez, LC.
Other Memories
Another of Candy’s favorite events (and a favorite of many Regnum Christi members around the world) was the Youth and Family Encounter in Rome, held in conjunction with the 1998 Pentecost Celebration of the lay movements called by Saint John Paul II. More than 10,000 members came from around the world, participating not only in Regnum Christi events, but in gatherings of more than half a million in St. Peter’s Square on consecutive days.
Candy was in the middle of it all, but notes that “whether you are planning for 100 people or 10,000 people, the amount of hours to plan really is the same.”
“Still, I look back on some of the events and can’t believe we did all of it,” Candy recalls. “It truly was by the grace of God.”
That isn’t to say there have not been challenges along the way. When you move thousands of individually minded travelers around the world, things can go wrong.
“One thing I struggle with is when we’re planning an event and my knowledge and experience tell me something should be done a certain way, but someone else has an alternative they are sure will work better,” Candy explains. She draws on an example from World Youth Day 1993 in Denver.
“We had rented an entire nearly ski resort to house Regnum Christi youth from all over the world,” Candy remembers. “Of course, we needed a fleet of buses to move them to and from the airport and various events.
“One of the Legionaries I was working with said he had a supporter who ran a bus company in Dallas and would send his buses to Denver and give us a great price. I had concerns, but gave in and the Dallas company hit the road.”
Candy’s concerns turned out to be well-founded. The buses from Dallas weren’t prepared for the high elevations and mountain grades of Denver; they all broke down. And Candy had to scramble to find more buses from another city in Colorado.
“Life would have been boring without the Legion in my life,” Candy admits. “And even when there were problems during an event, we handled it behind the scene so the participants were still having a great experience.
“We had a great team for the YFEs. I was always amazed by the numbers of volunteers who helped and made everything work.”
Candy was just 23 when she started working with the Legion. Today, she and husband, Richard, have been married 34 years and have grown children. And the Legionaries she has known have been a key part of her life.
“These men helped me, my mom, my dad, my family,” Candy says. “I’ve know many for years and saw them grow up and do so much for others.
“They are family. I don’t know what I would have done with them. Most of all, they brought me closer to Jesus.”
Q: I am involved with many ministries (RCIA helper, Respect Life leader, etc.) and I commute an hour each way daily and work full-time. I love everything I do for the Lord but sometimes feel overwhelmed with too much responsibility. I recently tried to back out of the leadership of one group but have been getting negative feelings from others. How do I respectfully withdraw from some of the ministries without feelings getting hurt and knowing that it is God’s will for me? – C.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: It is good to hear that you are so active in the Church.
As humans, we have limited time and resources. So we have to prioritize.
Jesus himself prioritized. Recall the time when Our Lord did a number of miracles in Capernaum, and people sought him out the next morning. The implication is that the town wanted him to stay and do more miracles.
His response? “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come” (Mark 1:38).
Here, Jesus could have stayed and done more good things in Capernaum. But that wasn’t his core mission. He walked away from doing good in one town in order to pursue a greater good in many towns.
So what might you do in your case?
First, it would help to consider the demands on your time and take all this to prayer and see where the Holy Spirit is leading you.
If you have done so already and decided that it is better to step away from a ministry, then you should do it with a sense of serenity.
There are various ways of stepping away, however.
One is to do it on the spot. This rarely goes over well, and it might stir up a lot of bad feelings.
A better approach might be this: Calmly explain to the group why you feel the need to step back, and then propose a deadline when you plan to do so — say, two or three months from now.
In the meantime you could offer to propose a possible substitute and to help transition the person in. This will show your good will, and it could motivate others to take on more responsibility.
This kind of thing is not unusual in the work of spreading the Gospel and helping others.
Church personnel are reassigned all the time. Parishes and religious orders adjust. It is part of life.
Besides, organizations ideally shouldn’t be totally dependent on one person. Systems need to be in place so that things can continue if one or another person moves on.
Now, none of this is to deny that at times Our Lord will be asking us to go the extra distance and do something that isn’t easy for us. But if someone finds that he has too much on his plate and that his prayer life or health is suffering, it’s understandable that he rethink his use of time and recalibrate accordingly.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to AskAPriest@rcspiritual.wpenginepowered.com and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
St. John Paul II observed that for people of faith there are no coincidences, only aspects of God’s providence that we have not yet fully understood. Another way of putting it is to say that there are no coincidences, only God-incidences. Among these God-incidences, one of the most remarkable is the story of St. Ignatius Loyola. For the world would be very different indeed if a cannonball had not struck him at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, shattering his leg and confining him to bed for the next 6 months. During his convalescence, the young Spaniard had ample time to reflect about the meaning of his life, about time and eternity, and, above all, about God. And more than his leg was healed. By the time he recovered he had decided to live no longer for himself, but for God, and the echoes of his choice appear in the motto forever associated with his name: “For the Greater Glory of God.” In this Retreat Guide we’ll explore what those words meant for his life, and what they can mean for ours.
In the First Meditation we’ll reflect on St. Ignatius as a pilgrim seeking the greater glory of God and draw out several virtues necessary for our own pilgrimage through life.
In the Second Meditation we’ll look at how St. John the Baptist, a kindred spirit of St. Ignatius, taught his followers to seek the greater glory of God.
And finally, the Conference will delve into the examen prayer, a practical tool St. Ignatius warmly recommended in order to see God’s action in our lives, and respond with faith, with hope, and with love.
The Personal Questionnaire/Group discussion questions are available in the Companion Guide Book or Small Group Companion Guide or for purchase via Amazon. Pause the video at any moment to go to the Companion Guide Book or continue to the next meditation.
Fr. Bruce Wren, LC, recently published I Will Give You a New Heart in the RC Essays series from RCSpirituality.org. This essay has three goals: to propose devotion to the Sacred Heart as God’s fundamental gift to the Regnum Christi Movement, to understand the specific form this devotion takes in the Regnum Christi Movement and, finally, to understand how to apply this practically.
We recently spoke to Fr. Bruce about the book.
So, Fr. Bruce, I understand you just wrote I Will Give You a New Heart on devotion to the Sacred Heart in the movement. What led you to write about the Sacred Heart in Regnum Christi?
Fr. Bruce Wren, LC: In order to understand any reality, one must try to understand the origins or first causes of that reality. Through a long and personal process of study, experience, and prayer, I have come to the conviction that the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, understood correctly, is at the very foundation of the Regnum Christi Movement. I wanted to share that conviction and to explain it to the members of Regnum Christi.
What moment has most moved you personally in your devotion to the Sacred Heart?
Fr. Bruce: Besides those personal experiences of prayer that are not easily put into words — as the Latin saying goes, “Individuum est ineffabile!” (The individual is ineffable.) — I would say that Romano Guardini’s The Lord and reflection upon the Gospels themselves have been primary motivations for me to write this.
What do you hope Regnum Christi members will get out of this RC Essay on the Sacred Heart?
I hope RC members get a better understanding of the Regnum Christi Movement! In the essay, I quote Aristotle, who wrote: “All men know that to be wise means to deal with the first causes and the principles of things.” How could we be “wise” members of the Movement if the very principle of the Movement is unknown or, at best, the guesswork of each member?
The table of contents list three parts of the book; I want to ask you a quick question about each part. In section one, you deal with the Sacred Heart in each branch; how does the Sacred Heart unite us?
Perhaps we could put it this way: it is the one great narrative that all RC members, as a community, can understand, and this then helps each individual member plot out the very personal journey they must make within the Movement. It is, I think, the “Map” on which we can all agree, though different members will follow different paths on that same map.
In section two, you speak of the meaning of “heart”; how would you summarize that?
I believe it is best to understand the “heart” (in the specific context of “The Sacred Heart of Jesus” and its consequent devotion) as the spiritual center of our affective responses, among which the principal response is love. In anthropological terms, the essay argues that the “heart” in this sense is a third spiritual faculty, on the same metaphysical level as the intellect and will.
In section three, you speak about practical applications; can you tell us about one that you consider important?
I think the correct use of music, literature and the visual arts is important in the affective formation of RC members.
How do people get your book? Do you have other books available?
Yes, I Will Give You a New Heart is available for $9.95 for printed or Kindle edition on Amazon. I wrote another RC Essay called Poetry Matters, on the relationship between poetry and integral formation, which is available on Amazon for the same price. I also have a publication of some of my own selected poetry, called Fending Off the Dragon Fire: Selected Poems, also available on Amazon. I’m not a good judge of my own work in this sense but, in my opinion, most of it is mediocre. Nevertheless, I do think there are a few good pieces included in the selection.
Q: I’ve been very upset for a while because I know that once we die and go to heaven all earthly ways are left behind, and none of it will exist in heaven and Scripture tells us to set our minds on things above and not earthly things. So now I don’t really enjoy anything I do, and everything seems pointless because ultimately it won’t matter in heaven. So all the things and activities that I previously enjoyed and the idea of marriage just kind of lost their appeal or enjoyment. I find no joy in being a Christian anymore. I feel really disappointed and depressed like all the time. – J.K.
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: If you are feeling disappointed and depressed all the time, that might be a symptom of something else going on in your life.
Disappointment and depression are not the normal states of a Christian. Being a Christian, in fact, should give us a deep-rooted joy. After all, we have faith in Jesus, we know what he has done for us, and we understand what life is about. It lifts our gaze toward the hope of eternal life.
I would qualify that notion that “everything seems pointless.” True, the things of this world will pass away. But that doesn’t mean they are pointless.
Rather, this world as a kind of test run for eternity. What we do or don’t do here will have a huge impact on our eternity.
In this world we have the chance to pray, to sacrifice for souls, to spread the Gospel, to help other people get closer to Jesus, and to help them on their way to heaven. In this world we have the chance to become saints or to turn into tyrants.
In this sense the things of this world, including the opportunities they give us to grow in the virtues, are not pointless.
Moreover, Jesus himself doesn’t want us to just hide away in a cave. Here it might be good to read the parable in Matthew 25:14-30and to note what happens to the servant with the one talent.
None of this implies that we should become attached to the world. St. Paul expressed the ambivalence of being a Christian nicely: “I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, [for] that is far better. Yet that I remain [in] the flesh is more necessary for your benefit. And this I know with confidence, that I shall remain and continue in the service of all of you for your progress and joy in the faith” (Philippians 1:23-25).
There we have a nice summary of what a Christian might feel: a desire to leave this world behind and be with Jesus, and yet a tug in the other direction, to stay here and help other souls to grow in their faith.
Be sure of this: You have a mission in life. Jesus didn’t put you here just to wait for the day when you leave this world. He wants you to jump into the arena, to use your talents for the glory of God and the good of others, and to bring his love to the souls you meet.
Living this mission to the full will allow you to begin to experience the joy of eternal life even while you are still here on earth — in fact, that’s why Jesus came to be our Savior: “I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
The deeper our friendship with Jesus gets here on earth, the more we experience the lasting happiness that he wants us to experience. Jesus himself designed human life; living it according to his example and teaching leads us to experience more fulfillment in life, not less.
Perhaps it might help to pray about this point and seek out a confessor or spiritual director to guide you. And if that sense of depression lingers, you might consider seeing a counselor, too.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to AskAPriest@rcspiritual.wpenginepowered.com and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
The young men’s section of Regnum Christi in Guatemala has created a new apostolate for young Regnum Christi professionals called: Discípulos by RC (Disciples by RC).
“This apostolate broke all my schemes. Who would have imagined that when entering this bar environment, it would be the same Brother, a Legionary of Christ, [who gave the talk] who would prepare and serve me my drink,” explained a surprised participant of Discípulos.
Discípulos is an apostolate that seeks to gather about 30 young adults who have either finished college or twenty-four years of age, in an informal “after office” environment. After a 10-minute exhibition on a controversial, philosophical, or faith issue, a group discussion opens up.
The apostolate seeks not only a Catholic formation, but also breaking down the paradigms or lack of confidence between different vocations.
“I think nobody can see a priest having a beer or a drink in the midst of 30 young people, without being surprised,” commented another of the participants.
Discípulos takes place on the third Tuesday of each month at the Regnum Christi headquarters in Guatemala City. The organizers, members of the young men’s section, set up a social area in the building with a bar, cocktail tables, glassware and furniture with the logo.
“This gives the feeling of a bar to a young professional; somewhere that after a long day of work, to get together with a group of people at their same stage of life. But here he or she finds others who seek to live in their faith in a different way.” Explained Luis Pedro Fernández Smith, director of the apostolate.
Each month they change the cocktail or drink, food, discussion theme and speaker, so that the experience for the participants is new every time they attend.
The event begins with 45 minutes of socializing, so that professionals can break the ice, eat and drink. Afterwards, the speaker gives a 10-minute presentation, giving the opportunity for discussion after. Finally, they move back to the bar, where they continue the discussion in an informal environment.
Discípulos is lived by the branches together: Laity, Legionaries, Consecrated Women and Lay Consecrated Men. Each one of the vocations participates, exposes and discusses the different topics in the light of their experience and training.
Discípulos began with the aim of making the section grow with young professionals who feel that their Catholic formation is stagnating due to where they find themselves in life.
“We felt that in the section, there was a big gap between the meetings of youth and the men. We still do not have children, we are not at the peak of our professions, nor do we feel ready to go to a meeting with older men or women… but I am not in university or in high school anymore,” said one of the coordinators of the apostolate.
The young men and women’s sections have grown from this apostolate. Over the last five months of Discípulos 143 people have participated, and 70% of these were not part of Regnum Christi or a prayer group beforehand.
Topics covered so far have included: eroticism, sin, tolerance, religion vs relation and confession. Fr. Oscar Cabello, LC; Fr. Carlos María García, LC; Br. Jorge Mora, LC; and Pablo Beuchat, Lay Consecrated Man; have been the speakers thus far.
The apostolate is spawning a new branch called “Discípulos University Edition” to begin soon for university students who are not yet professionals but want to take part.
Q: I personally enjoy watching shows like “Family Guy.” I know that “Family Guy” has some pretty low humor at times. Some of it is just simply in bad taste, and other times it is sexual. I was wondering if it is venially sinful or mortally sinful to watch those shows. There are some episodes where they actually mock religion, but I avoid watching those particular episodes completely. I no longer watch “Game of Thrones” because it is way too blatant on the nudity and sexuality. – Kris
Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC
A: Our minds are a little like sponges. They tend to soak in whatever is in the surrounding environment.
If you are exposing yourself to TV shows with low humor and bad taste and sexual innuendo, these will likely leave their mark on your thinking and possibly your spiritual life.
As for the sinfulness of watching these shows, they might indeed lead you into at least venial sin, for various reasons.
First, they constantly expose you to anti-Christian themes and topics that denigrate the respect due to sexuality. All of this is morally counterproductive and can have a deep and subtle impact on your views.
Second, your viewing these shows might give scandal to others. That is, if people perceive you as religiously inclined, they might think, “Kris watches that show, so it must be OK.”
Third, your watching these shows in some way feeds the demand for this kind of fare. You become part of the problem of low-brow media, even if in a small way.
All this could lead to mortal sin, especially over the course of time, as attitudes change and then harden.
Perhaps one question you should ask yourself is this: If watching these shows is “only” a venial sin, will you continue to do it? If your answer is yes, then you might be already heading for serious trouble. Easy acceptance of venial sin quickly can lead to mortal offenses.
It is good to remember that we aren’t called just to avoid mortal sin. We are called to be saints.
Perhaps this is a moment to recall St. Paul’s line in 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “Do everything for the glory of God”– and take it to prayer. By establishing a mini culture of Christian values in your home – what you watch, what you listen to, how you dress, etc. – you will help to reinforce your faith and give the Holy Spirit plenty of fertile ground to work with.
Life is short. Is it worth spending that short time on earth watching bad TV? If you quit one TV series for its bad content, you seem to be moving in the right direction.
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to AskAPriest@rcspiritual.wpenginepowered.com and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…
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!
“The Eight Stations of Advent” is a beautiful devotional booklet written by Fr. John Bartunek, LC. This booklet will help in your prayerful preparation for Christmas and it is a great Lectio Divina to use during Advent. See excerpt below:
Chuck Lucore
The event begins with 45 minutes of socializing, so that professionals can break the ice, eat and drink. Afterwards, the speaker gives a 10-minute presentation, giving the opportunity for discussion after. Finally, they move back to the bar, where they continue the discussion in an informal environment.