Sounds of SAND Engaged Contemplation: Father Adam Bucko
Dec 11, 2025
Father Adam Bucko, an Episcopal priest and leader in the new monastic movement, shares his transformative journey from Poland's resistance against totalitarianism to empowering marginalized youth in the U.S. and India. He discusses the profound role of heartbreak in spiritual growth, emphasizing that true contemplation must embrace grief alongside love. Father Adam advocates for acknowledging historical injustices by the church and highlights the importance of community rhythms in sustaining social justice activism and engaged spirituality.
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Formative Encounters That Shaped A Calling
- Father Adam Bucko recounts growing up in Poland amid nonviolent resistance and imitating priests as a child, which shaped his calling.
- He later encountered a burned, exploited street child in India who redirected him from mountain hermitages to lifelong street ministry.
Prayer As Receptivity For Transformative Action
- Contemplative prayer that empties and offers everything creates receptivity for a healing presence to arise.
- When we consent, that presence can transfigure our heartbreaks and skills into effective, wise action in the world.
Show Up Without Fixing First
- Do set aside professional buffers and simply accompany people by bearing witness to their pain rather than trying to fix them immediately.
- Let your presence and openness allow the right words and actions to emerge spontaneously.
