A defining choice on a memorable journey helps young woman bring Christ to others
Cheyenne Johnson, a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Indianapolis, and fellow perpetual pilgrim Marcel Ferrer, center, talk to a man during a stop on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. The journey of faith took place began on May 24 and ended in Philadelphia on the weekend of July 4. (Submitted photo)
By John Shaughnessy
Cheyenne Johnson faced a defining choice as she led the group of her fellow young adult perpetual pilgrims on the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage—the 2,000-mile journey along the East Coast that was connected to this year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The moment unfolded on Peaks Island in Maine, a scenic haven that’s a 17-minute ferry ride from the coastal community of Portland.
Hours earlier, Johnson and the other young pilgrims had led a eucharistic procession to St. Christopher Church on the island, adding another memorable scene from the pilgrimage that traveled through most of the country’s original 13 colonies, a pilgrimage that brought countless numbers of people to their knees in adoration of the Eucharist.
After the procession, the young pilgrims lingered on the island, savoring the scenery and the taste of the lobster rolls that are a Maine delicacy. Then it came time to return to Portland by ferry, a time that led to Johnson’s defining choice.
“It was just the nine of us pilgrims and our priest,” Johnson recalls about heading toward the ferry where tourists and islanders were already on board. “At first, I thought we should just be super discreet. But once I saw all of our processional gear, I realized that wasn’t going to happen. We still had the Blessed Sacrament. We had an 8-foot crucifix, candles, a speaker system and a canopy.
“We knew people were going to be staring either way, so we were like, ‘Let’s just have a procession with the 10 of us that are here.’ I volunteered to carry the crucifix. I was at the very front. When we saw people, I started to get nervous about all these people staring at us.”
Yet, Johnson still chose to go forward, spurred on by the one person she felt by her side, “It was a beautiful moment of the Lord working in my own imperfections and my own lack of trust,” says Johnson, a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Indianapolis. “Just having that moment of walking with the Lord, like him walking through the villages and talking to people and people staring at him—and especially those moments of him walking to Calvary and people are staring.
“No one on the ferry said anything, but it was a moment of faith, of leaning into the Lord and uniting that moment to being uncomfortable for his glory. That really touched me. It was so moving for us all.”
That moment also left an impact on some of the people on the ferry.
“Some of them were kneeling. And there were two guys who are Protestant who ended up in the same corner of the ferry with us. Afterward, they were thanking us for this beautiful experience.
“Everyone had such a powerful encounter with the Lord that day, and it was from an impromptu moment that really shouldn’t have happened, but it did. There were moments like that throughout the pilgrimage —these big moments of conversion from the smallest things.”
‘To see the goodness that God has given us’
With the theme, “One Nation Under God,” the pilgrimage route celebrated major Catholic landmarks and moments in American Catholic history. Featuring public events in 18 dioceses and archdioceses, the pilgrimage began on May 24 at the shrine of Our Lady of La Leche (“milk” in Spanish) in St. Augustine, Fla., headed toward Maine and then ended in Philadelphia on the weekend of July 4th for the country’s anniversary celebrations.
With Johnson serving as the team leader, the nine young adults were there for every minute of the pilgrimage, living with the Blessed Sacrament, traveling with the Eucharist in their van, and sharing Christ with people at every stop. The pilgrimage’s connection to the country’s 250th anniversary provided a bonus for the pilgrims.
“I loved it,” says Johnson, who often coordinated the logistics of the pilgrimage with parishes and dioceses along the way. “Just being with the team and traveling up and down the East Coast for the 250th year of our country was so beautiful. Praying for our country and praying for people we met along the way was really incredible.”
They visited the home of Charles Carroll of Maryland, the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence. Other stops included Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts, the Freedom Trail in Boston and Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
“It was very beautiful to be there where history really happened—to see all these historic places at the intersection of Catholicism and the history of our country,” Johnson says. “To see how intertwined they are. To see the faithfulness of the people. To see the goodness that God has given to us and he continues to give us.”
Processing through the streets of Washington with the Blessed Sacrament on display was another highlight for the 27-year-old Johnson.
“We processed all downtown,” she says. “I didn’t realize how close we were going to be to the White House. We were right outside the main gate there. It was really powerful to get to pray for our nation’s leaders in the capital so close to the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—to pray for unity and peace for everyone, especially to see so many people come out to do it.”
As memorable as the big moments were for Johnson, the smaller ones are the ones she mentioned first.
‘I just got this overwhelming sense of peace’
Beyond the defining moment in Maine, there is the memory of a group of children who poured out from their Vacation Bible School, knelt and prayed during the pilgrims’ stop with the Blessed Sacrament.
Johnson’s enthusiasm also soared with the memory of a eucharistic procession inside a Catholic nursing home.
“There was one woman who could barely walk, and she joined us in the procession,” Johnson recalls. “I was so moved by her that I took her under my wing.
“Another big moment was a procession on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. It was a sunrise procession. I actually had to move the van to where we were ending the procession. And me and another pilgrim walked the route backward so we would meet them coming the other way. Instead of being tired, we started telling people what was going to happen—that we’re having this procession with Jesus.
“It was beautiful to go before the Lord in that way, to help prepare people’s hearts to receive our Lord. And I just got this overwhelming sense of peace when we saw everybody in the procession coming our way.”
Johnson also appreciated sharing the pilgrimage with a few people with ties to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Mary Carmen Zakrajsek, her friend and a former member of Holy Rosary Parish, was a fellow pilgrim. And two priests from the archdiocese joined the pilgrimage at different points—Father Jeffrey Dufresne, pastor of St. Philip Neri Parish in Indianapolis, and Father Liam Hosty, parochial vicar of St. Ann Parish in Indianapolis and St. Thomas More Parish in Mooresville.
“They were so humble and willing to do whatever we needed them to do,” Johnson says about the two priests. “To see them jump into the role of chaplain, carrying our Lord in processions and being there to hear confessions was so beautiful. It’s a witness to the strong presbyterate we have in Indianapolis.”
Johnson is a witness too, as she has participated as a perpetual pilgrim in national eucharistic pilgrimages the past two summers, including the 3,300-mile journey of faith in 2025 that began in Indianapolis and ended in Los Angeles.
‘It’s just such an invaluable gift’
“The Lord has desired for the past two summers to use these pilgrimages for my salvation,” she says. “I don’t know exactly how that is going to play out, but I know it was necessary that I do this. Thinking about that, he wanted to give me these experiences to work in my heart.
“I’ve grown so much in my relationship with the Lord the last two summers, and I’ll continue to seek him out—going to daily Mass, going to adoration, praying the rosary, praying for our country and others.”
The pilgrimage has also prepared her for the road ahead in other ways, ways that offer a guide and a map for anyone seeking to draw closer to Christ on their journey.
“Being in the van with the Blessed Sacrament, you definitely feel that physical closeness with him,” she says. “I told people at the end that it’s going to feel different going home. I’ve already felt that struggle to always have him near. But I think he gives us these moments of being particularly close to him so when we’re not in these extraordinary situations, we know he’s always close to us.”
That’s just one of the lasting gifts of the pilgrimages for her.
“With all the leadership skills I’ve gained, there’s just a clarity and trust in the Lord. A lot of times, I had to make decisions without knowing the outcome, but I just trusted in the Lord to provide for us. And I think that’s going to stick with me throughout the rest of my life. Just trusting in him. It’s such an invaluable gift. I just want to continue to grow in my identity as a beloved daughter.” †
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