by Todd Habiger
todd.habiger@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Andrew Bartell had made a nice life as a private practice lawyer in the Chicago area, but he couldn’t escape the feeling that he wasn’t quite where God wanted him to be.
After several conversations with his pastor about canon law, Bartell found himself at a Red Mass (an annual celebration that offers prayers for those in legal and public service professions) and face to face with Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago at the time.
After telling the cardinal what he was feeling, Cardinal George suggested he and Bartell have a talk.
“We set up a meeting, and it was almost like a vocational discernment conversation about where I was in life and what was motivating me,” Bartell said. “It really became clear that there’s more in life than just making a living.”
So, Bartell earned a canon law degree and began a career in the Catholic Church. He became director of the tribunal for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, followed by the in-house counsel and director of gift planning for the Catholic Community Foundation of Eastern South Dakota, and eventually vice president of Mission Integration for the Felician Sisters in North America.
Now, he’s bringing his talents to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas as the new chancellor, chief operating officer and promoter of justice. He started the role on Sept. 8.
Starting off strong
Bartell is the first lay chancellor for the archdiocese. He had never been to northeast Kansas before applying for the job, but he immediately felt a connection with Archbishop Shawn McKnight.
“We share a lot of the same vision of what the church looks like and what the church feels like,” he said. “It’s not about administration. It’s about people. We are the people of God. That’s what church is.
“The archdiocese is not here to be served by the people. We are here to serve the people.”
Archbishop McKnight is pleased to have Bartell on board.
“I am grateful for Andrew joining our team as the first lay chancellor of the archdiocese,” said the archbishop. “His extensive qualifications and experience will serve my desire for the chancery to be of greater service to the parishes.”
Since his first day, Bartell has been working to learn about the people and priests of the archdiocese. He attended the Sept. 15 deanery listening sessions in an effort to expand that understanding.
“One of the things that is very important to my learning process is getting to know who we are as an archdiocese — who are the people that need to be served and what do they need,” said Bartell.
“There’s a great depth of faith here that I’ve seen in all those I’ve encountered so far,” he continued. “How do we encourage that? How do we stoke that flame and give them the tools they need to engage with their faith?”
His vision
Some of Bartell’s key responsibilities will include leading the design and execution of internal policies and directing the archdiocese’s information technology functions.
According to Bartell, there have been many changes to the church in the last 10 years, and archdiocesan policies need to change accordingly. He stressed that policies need to better serve parishes and not become a burden to them.
“But we do need safeguards,” he said. “We need good financial safeguards to make sure that things are being done properly so we don’t misuse funds that have been given to us.”
Bartell believes the archdiocese also needs to keep up with the fast-changing world of information technology.
“I think we’ve got a little bit of catching up to do with our policies and how we operate in this new digital age,” he said.
Bartell will work alongside Father Michael Hawken, vicar general and moderator of the curia, to help oversee the day-to-day operations of the chancery.
“Andrew brings a rare combination of expertise, with degrees in canon and civil law, and a deep love for the church and his family,” said Father Hawken. “Those qualities give me great confidence in his ability to serve the archbishop and the people of God with wisdom and sound judgement in this important role.”
Personally speaking
Bartell and his wife Maria have a 5-year-old son Leo, who loves to build Legos. Bartell and Leo are currently building a castle together.
He and Maria first bonded over their shared love for coffee. His go-to drink most mornings is an Americano — two shots of espresso with steamed water.
In his free time, Bartell loves to cook. While making the transition to the archdiocese, he said one of the first items that made the trek to his new home was his smoker.
“I’m looking to learn the secret of Kansas City barbecue,” he said.
Originally from Wisconsin, Bartell follows all the local teams — from the Wisconsin Badgers to the Milwaukee Bucks and Brewers. And of course, he’s a huge Green Bay Packers fan and even owns a portion of the team as the Packers are the only nonprofit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States.
Being an “owner” of the Packers is fun as a Catholic, said Bartell, since the team’s two preseason games raise money for worthy causes — one being Catholic Charities of Green Bay.
“That’s the culture of the Packers,” he said. “It’s a little bit different.”
Bartell looks forward to making Kansas City home and serving the people of the archdiocese.
