WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | August 2017 FLORIDACatholic MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE Archbishop Thomas Wenski, members of the “Long Ride Home” crew and Emmaus Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Bear Woznick and his “Long Ride Home” crew enter Key Bikers from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish pray after Communion at a Mass Aug. 5. West Aug. 5. The ride will be featured in the second season of Woznick’s “Long Ride The Mass marked the start of the archbishop’s ride to Key West with Great Adventure Home” reality series on EWTN. (PHOTOS BY ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC) Ministries’ Bear Woznick. Looking for adventure? ide with Jesus Adventurer Bear Woznick teams with Archbishop Thomas Wenski to evangelize ‘real men’ ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO R of the Florida Catholic staff ninja black belt named Bear lead them to Cuban Crafters Cigars in Little Havana. Jesus? “He’s given us a great gift by riding with That’s the premise of “Long Ride Home,” us,” Woznick said, adding, “He’s tough. He’s KEY WEST | Muscles and tattoos; men an unusual reality TV series in that it airs not a real biker.” on motorcycles roaring through winding on Spike TV, but on EWTN — yes, Mother The reference was to the less-than-ideal roads: Can a world-champion surfer and Angelica’s network. Tattooed bikers are not conditions for the ride from Our Lady of exactly most people’s image of Catholicism. Guadalupe Church in Doral — where the And that’s just what Bear Woznick is archbishop celebrated Mass before depar- banking on. ture Saturday morning — to the Basilica of “We wanted to show men that you could St. Mary Star of the Sea in Key West, where be a real man and still love Jesus,” he said. he celebrated Mass before heading back to “The walls between men and each other and Miami Sunday morning. men and the Lord need to come down.” Florida’s August sun and humidity were Woznick spoke to the Florida Catholic at their peak, with temperatures in the 90s while filming a ride from Miami to Key West that felt like the 100s. It’s manageable if that will provide the backbone for the series’ you’re moving, the riders agreed. But traffic second season. His guest star, so to speak: was stop-and-go pretty much from Florida Miami’s Cuban-cigar-smoking, Harley-rid- City to Marathon, and the heat from the Bear Woznick and his fiancée Cindy Davis ing Archbishop Thomas Wenski. pavement and the Harleys’ idling engines do the “shaka” or “hang loose” surfing “For a period of eight days, once a day, had only one way to go: up onto the riders, sign while sitting in bumper-to-bumper somebody was telling me, you need to ride most of whom were wearing jeans, long traffic along U.S. 1. with the archbishop. I’m no fool,” recalled sleeves and leather jackets. To put it mildly, Woznick. “I know the Holy Spirit when he’s it felt like purgatory for about 100 miles. sons Shane and Joshua Woznick and vid- trying to hit me with a two-by-four.” Archbishop Wenski brought along two eographer Denielle Balint. The two finally connected at the July riding buddies, attorney Tom Equels and From Doral to their first stop at St. Justin 1-4 Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Or- Camillus House nurse practitioner Rose An- Martyr in Key Largo they were joined by lando, and the ride took place a month later, derson. Woznick’s “motley group” consisted members of the Emmaus Bikers of Our Lady Bear Woznick shows off the souvenir he Aug. 5-6. The night before their departure his fiancée Cindy Davis and cast members of Guadalupe, who were founded in 2014 to received during his stop at the Basilica of for Key West, Woznick taped interviews with “Doc” Lance Maki and Tony Orband, guests St. Mary Star of the Sea. the archbishop at one of his favorite haunts, Mike and Kym Schwarze, and his film crew: PLEASE SEE RIDE, 6 2 YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY Florida Catholic August 2017 Miami young adult pedals cross-country for the disabled TOM TRACY his Journey of Hope ride, but he Florida Catholic correspondent expects to come home to Miami and seek a career in either sales or MIAMI | With a newly earned something related to wildlife and college degree in hand, Matthew the environment. George has been spending his “I may also do some video blog- summer pedaling across the coun- ging in terms of educating people try in support of people with dis- about wildlife in an adventure- abilities. show format, as well fishing, camp- A graduate of both Sts. Peter ing, hiking, bicycling,” he said. and Paul School and Immacula- He said he will certainly have ta-LaSalle High School in Miami, some adventures to talk about fol- George, 23, has been making his lowing this summer’s charity ride. way from Seattle to Washington, Seated on his nine-speed Domane D.C., as part of a college fraternity- brand trek bike and often hitting sponsored bicycling event called speeds of 50 mph, he recalled a Journey of Hope. The event is in its few memorable days during the 30th year. early portions of the journey in the Pedaling some 60 to 135 miles Northwest, including the ride from a day over the course of 64 days, West Yellowstone in Montana to the Miami native is part of a three- Jackson Hole in Wyoming. team, three-route undertaking “We climbed Grand Teton Pass to raise funds and awareness this on backcountry roads and it was summer for a host of adult and breathtaking,” he said. “We started youth disabilities, both mental and out that morning at 4:30 a.m., when physical. His team began its ride it was 30 degrees out, and my fin- June 7 in Seattle and is expected to gers were totally numb, literally fro- reach Washington, D.C., Aug. 12. zen — it was scary as it took about “I didn’t even get into cycling un- an hour for my hands to thaw. til I signed up for Journey of Hope, “We also climbed Mount Raini- and now I hope to complete an er on our second day. We were so Ironman (competition),” George Matthew George, front, is shown with fellow Journey of Hope rider Layton Rogers. They are one of three high up there was sleet and cold said during a phone interview from teams of riders going cross-country to raise funds and awareness this summer for a host of adult and rain, snow everywhere around us,” Bloomington, Ind., near the end of youth disabilities, both mental and physical. All the teams were to arrive in Washington, D.C., Aug. 12. he said. “We stopped and got into a July. His team had taken time out to snowball fight.” enjoy a dinner with a group of dis- friends, George said he personally ing back to the community. I am a is doing. It takes endurance,” Paul Most of the travel is on back abled youths and adults. raised more than $5,500 in contri- lucky guy and I have a great father, George said of his son. “His best roads but it encompasses inter- “Today, for example, we biked butions that will support charity and the least I can do is reach out friend had done this ride last year, state highways as well, he noted. 60 miles into Bloomington and outreach to people with disabilities and help others,” George said. and there was a fiduciary invest- The support crew drive ahead of we had a ‘stage-up’ arrival with through the Pi Kappa Phi fraterni- His father, noted Miami histori- ment on our part but we really like the riders, marking turns and pro- our bikes and wearing our jerseys, ty charitable program. The whole an Paul George, is a member of Sts. the event.” viding food and drink to the team. arriving at a local nonprofit facil- team and the overall undertaking Peter and Paul Parish. He told the “We made the sacrifice of send- “You have to dig deep and re- ity where we go in and play games aspires to raise a total of more than Florida Catholic that all three of ing them to Catholic schools be- alize who you are riding for and with the disabled, and eat a spon- $700,000 this year. his children benefited from Catho- cause we felt it was worth it. The what is important, and that is what sored meal,” he said, adding that George said he credits his Cath- lic education and that Matthew values have always been there. He keeps you going,” he said. n the age range for the disabled is olic education for instilling some has always been an exceptional has so much integrity,” he added. from youths to adults. of the virtues that set the stage for athlete. The two boys in the family Matthew George, a biology ma- For more information about the “All the cyclists stood with our his summer adventure. “The high were also altar servers. jor, said he isn’t absolutely certain race see: www.abilityexperience.org bikes and 50 people with disabili- school I went to prides itself on giv- “I think it is fabulous what he what he wants to do following or http://bit.ly/2vbrVER. ties came outside very elated and happy to see us,” George said. “One cried. They wait for this every year, Matthew and after they greet us they invited George poses us inside for some sloppy joes and with Brenda, one of the we sat with them, mingled and disabled played bingo.