Eastern Oklahoma Catholic July/August 2010 : Page 17
on Oklahoma City,” Hank said. “We had several serious inquiries about membership this spring.” In the meantime, they will wear their colors to as many events as possible. The purple and white patches on the back of their leather vests tend to attract a lot of attention. Jessica and Alyx made the trip to Washington, D.C., in January for the National March for Life rally. All three were regulars at the local 40 Days for Life vigils last fall. Whenever they ride or attend an event, they carry what Jessica calls “evangelist packets” that include a rosary from the Rosary Army (rosaryarmy.com) and a brochure explaining who the Catholic Cross Bearers are and what they do. These activities spark inspired, informative discussion about the Catholic Church. “Our main goal is evangelism,” Jessica said. “Whenever we walk into an event wearing our colors, people start asking questions and, you’re there. The rest is easy. It’s making that initial contact that’s hard sometimes.” The Stancos have established a Facebook page where they will update their work and their attendance at events. The site is open to the public and can be found by an Internet search for Catholic Cross Bearers Oklahoma. Prospective members can call Hank at 918.798.6071 or email him at hstanco@cox.net The summer already has been a busy one for the Catholic Cross Bearers. On June 6, they started a summer-long program to visit different parishes each Sunday. The first stop was Holy Family Cathedral. At 2 p.m., July 18, Father Michael Dodd will preside over the first annual bike blessing at Cross Bearers’ home parish, St. Anne in Broken Arrow. Everyone who owns a bike or wishes he or she did is invited to attend. The rest of summer, Hank says, will be spent on getting out the word and following up on prospective new member requests in hopes that the ministry will grow. “There’s only three of us right now,” Hank said, “but the Church began with only 12 disciples. You have to start somewhere.” Ministry began in a convicted murderer’s prison cell Eric “Shotgun” Wardrum had strayed far from the Church. In 1990, the avid biker was convicted of the murder of a 28-year-old man in Cleveland, Ohio. “It seemed at the time that no matter how hard I tried in life, I could not succeed. I realize now that this w because I didn’t put G first in my life and see will in all things,” Mr. W said. “But, somehow, lost my love for Jesus or my Catholic identity.” In 1992, after two years in prison, he came upon a Newsweek article Eric Wardrum, founder of the Catholic Cross Bearers Motorcycle Ministry, and his wife, Michelle, at their home in Cleveland, Ohio. about the growing phenomenon of Christian motorcycle ministries. Through additional research, he became aware of and joined the Christian Motorcyclists Association, a primarily Protestant evangelical ministry based in Hatfield, Ark. Repentant and hoping to strengthen his Catholic faith, he felt a strong calling to become part of a similar, Catholic ministry. He couldn’t find one. “It’s hard to explain a calling from God,” he said. “It’s something that doesn’t go away no matter how hard you try to ignore it.” The years passed, and, doing what he could from a prison cell, Mr. Wardrum continued to develop the idea of a Catholic motorcycle ministry. God kept putting people, news articles and other things in his path. In 1997, he began to outline his vision of the Catholic Cross Bearers Motorcycle Ministry As he came closer to eligibility for parole, he was moved to a lower security prison dorm. “God finally put the final 2x4 upside my head,” he said. In the bunk next to him was a former member of an infamous motorcycle gang who had converted to Christianity. For nearly two years, Mr. Wardrum’s new friend encouraged him to pursue his plans. “He told me, ‘You need to do this, even if you are the only one doing it,’” Mr. Wardrum said. Upon his release in 2008, he immediately joined the Christian Motorcycle Association. Seeking a greater devotion to Mary and reverence to the Eucharist, he formed the Catholic Cross Bearers in the fall of 2008 and, at the time, he was the only member. But Hank Stanco of St. Anne Church in Broken Arrow had similar aspirations to find a Catholic motorcycle ministry. He found Mr. Wardrum’s web site in the summer of 2009. He, Mrs. Stanco and their daughter, Alyx, became the second, third and fourth members of the Catholic Cross Bearers. Today, the growing ministry has members in Oklahoma, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine. For more information, a more detailed history and photo galleries, visit www.catholiccrossbearersmm.com
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