St John Leonardi

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Uncle Eddy

Dear Leon,

I don’t know why you are so discouraged by those difficulties you mention in your note.  I would rather say that you should be glad about them.  Any time we undertake some kind of work of evangelization, the quick appearance of obstacles is the most positive of signs: it means that the devil is worried about it and wants to nip it in the bud.  Take today’s saint, for example.

John was from the town of Lucca in central Italy.  He was a pharmacist’s apprentice, but felt called to serve God and the Church.  He began studies for the priesthood, and was soon ordained, after which he devoted himself zealously to serving the poor and the sick.  His love for Christ was contagious, and he quickly attracted a group of laymen to assist in his work, some of whom also began studies for the priesthood.  A fervent desire for healthy reform filled the air of 16th-century Italy (especially in the aftermath of the Protestant Rebellion and the Council of Trent), and St John and companions concocted the idea of forming a congregation of diocesan priests to further the efforts of renewal.  Innocent enough, right?  Well, for some odd reason (still unclear to this day), violent opposition broke out among members of the Luccan government.  John was exiled (he was forbidden to step foot in the city for almost the rest of his life) and his group was buffeted with unreasonable attacks of every kind.  The saint persevered, however, first obtaining permission from the bishop, and after they had begun to kindle fires of charity and holiness throughout the Italian peninsula, he received papal approval.  So revered was St John for his enthusiasm (and miracles), that he shared the task of planning a new seminary for missionary clergy, which opened in Rome some years after his death.

St John Leonardi’s experience is par for the course.  So don’t fret the difficulties, whether they come in the form of official opposition or indirect obstacles; as long as you are humbly and energetically extending the Kingdom of Christ you will never have smooth sailing.

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!