Chiefs steward: member of Super Bowl family encourages radical witness among wealthy

LAMAR HUNT, JR. TO ADDRESS THE IMPORTANT LEGACY OF THE RICH

Lamar Hunt Jr., a member of the founding family of the Kansas City Chiefs, was in the afterglow of the franchise’s second Super Bowl victory when he received a call in March from a Legatus magazine staff writer in New England. The writer confirmed that he is a Patriots fan himself.

“That’s okay. You’ve had your day, and what a day that’s been,” Hunt said during a good-natured exchange about the two teams’ diverging fortunes.

Hunt, 63, is founder of the Loretto Companies LLC, a real estate development company, and the Loretto Foundation LLC, a charitable organization. He will be a featured speaker at Legatus’ 2020 Summit West, scheduled for Sept. 17-19 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Hunt, who lives in the Kansas City area, is a practicing Catholic. He sits on the boards of several Catholic organizations including the Bright Futures Fund, which helps needy children attend Catholic schools.

What will you speak about at Legatus Summit West?

The topic that came to me was, “Oh, woe to you who are rich” (John 6:24-26). There’s a quote I keep on my door by St. John Chrysostom about the prosperous using their wealth for good. What we’re talking about is stewardship. We’ve been given this wealth to manage, to steward. How are we spending our prosperity? How are we passing it along, and what are we doing with it?

There is a tendency with very wealthy people to spend a lot of money on themselves. So we need a radical witness from those who are wealthy. That doesn’t mean we can’t have nice things or can’t do this or that. But there is a risk of falling into a sort of never-ending, must-have approach to life.

When did you enter the Catholic Church?

I was 34 when I converted to the Catholic faith. It was a function of God’s grace and receiving something freely given. I love to read, so that was the entry point that God used. I remember reading a book by Father John Hardon, The Catholic Catechism, and thinking, “Where do I sign up?” It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but it’s been a journey. It’s been a blessing.

What did the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LIV mean for you personally, the Hunt family, and the Kansas City community?

To finally win after 50 years was truly amazing. It’s still a little surreal. Kansas City is a very closeknit community. When Chiefs games are on, we get these incredible market shares of local people watching like no other team in the league. There was this coming together of the community, and the parade probably had a million people. 

Have you had prior interactions with Legatus?

They’ve started a local chapter, so I’ve spoken there. I was also giving a reference for someone on the phone with Tom Monaghan, and he asked me, “Hey, would you like to come speak at our event in Colorado Springs?” I thought, “Sure, I’d be happy to.” He got two birds with one stone, so I think he’s probably a really practical guy. He’s definitely a very special person.

Who are your spiritual heroes?

[Pope St.] John Paul II would definitely be one. He was pope when I converted, so I started reading what he wrote, his encyclicals, and learned about his life.

Also, St. Ignatius of Loyola. Since I’ve become Catholic, I spend a lot of time going on retreats, almost all Ignatian.

Then there is St. Maximilian Kolbe. What a battler he was with his single-mindedness and determination. All saints are like that. But those three guys, they’re warriors.