This is Jason Christensen’s blog for June 21.  To read more about his adventures on the 5,000 mile, cross-country ride, click on the Cycling for Change blog link at the bottom of this page.
On this day we surpassed the 1,000 mile of our cross-country journey. We commemorated this milestone by visiting St. Mary’s Mission in Stevensville, MT. This is where Fr. Pierre Jean DeSmet, SJ established the first western mission at the request of the Flathead and Nez Perce Indian Tribes who were seeking assistance from the “Black Robes.”

Fr. DeSmet and Fr. Anthony Ravalli — a beloved priest, physician and architect — were instrumental in the early development of what is now the state of Montana.

As we walked through the compound past the chapel and toward the cemetery, it was a reminder of just how harsh the pioneer life was.  Many of the deceased had lived to their early 40′s and that was about it.  And that’s what we knew of the white settlers.  The lot that contained the remains of the Flathead and Nez Perce had their graves marked with a simple, solitary cross.

It was a solemn experience.  And while we might be tempted to be proud of our personal and group accomplishment by riding 1,000 miles on our bicycles, that’s not what Cycling For Change is about.  Everyday is a reminder of the incredible sacrifices people make and it’s a reminder of the amount of suffering — visible and invisible — that exists.

There are a thousand reasons to be grateful.  As has become tradition, every night we pray for those who do not have the food and hospitality that have been afforded us by various parishes throughout this journey.  A warm bed.  A hot shower. 40 million Americans are out there struggling to have those simple items.

My prayer for this journey is that all Americans will begin to look at the poor and be moved in a solemn way as were so many of us when we came upon that simple, solitary cross….that every encounter will serve as a marker on their hearts.  And hopefully, we can begin to see some milestones of fewer Americans living in poverty.