St Cyprian of Carthage

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Uncle Eddy

Dear Karen,

Don’t rest on your laurels, as some say.  In times of peace, prepare for war, as others say.  I am glad to hear that the group there is flourishing, but remember what happened in the days of today’s saint, and watch out.

Cyprian was a model bishop in every way (he was converted and baptized after having been a successful public official in Carthage, an important metropolis of Northeast Africa in ancient times).  He rose to leadership during a lull in official persecutions.  Years before, Christians were being flushed out of every nook and cranny and tossed to the lions with gusto, but then came a relatively long period of peace.  During those easy days, many Christians fell into routine, and many converts to the faith were embracing Christian camaraderie more than Christ.  So when the horrible Decian persecution erupted, hundreds of believers collapsed under the threat of torture, banishment, and execution.  They sometimes publicly renounced their faith (thus becoming apostates), and sometimes simply purchased forged certificates claiming that they had done so.  So many of the faithful fell into this cowardice that when that wave of persecution ended the Church faced one of its gravest crises in the early centuries.  It consisted in trying to figure out what to do with these hoards of “lapsi” (those who had “lapsed” under duress).  Some said lapsing wasn’t a sin at all, while others claimed that it was an unforgivable sin.  St Cyprian effectively dodged these extremes by following and supporting the position of Pope St Cornelius (whose feast is also celebrated today, by the way), which took a middle path.  Thus the Church continued on course, while schismatics and heretics spun off in a blaze of fury and soon after fizzled out.

Perhaps you need to pray for some kind of persecution, so that your growing community of apostles can have some way of keeping in spiritual shape.  Or perhaps you just need to wake up your love and look around you again; I’m sure you’ll see plenty of work that could be done to advance the Kingdom, and to fend off the self-satisfied indifference that seems to be lulling you all into a kind of apostolic slumber.  In any case, count on my prayers.

Sincerely,

Uncle Eddy

Uncle Eddy Introduces the Saints

Navigating today’s world is tough and all of us could use a nudge in the right direction. Figuring out the right path to take at work, at college, or in social situations is not always easy. Looking to the lives of the saints can give us the insights we need.

Written by Fr. John Bartunek, LC, Uncle Eddy’s Saint of the Day is a fictional series of letters written by a man who has been imprisoned for the Catholic Faith. Using the saints of the day as examples, Uncle Eddy pens a daily letter with spiritual advice to his many nieces and nephews.

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

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!