Outwardly, the two priests and three seminarians who arrived at Sacred Heart Church, Trenton, the afternoon of June 10 looked weary, bruised and slightly worse for the wear. After all, the five men had completed about 1,000 miles of their 1,400 bicycle pilgrimage along the Eastern seaboard, having left St. Augustine, Fla., May 17. But, during an interview with the Monitor at the Trenton diocesan House of Discernment, as the famished men ate lunch, their inner fervor for their Catholic faith proved indefatigable.

Father Joseph Fitzgerald, director of vocations for the Diocese of Rockville Centre; Father Marc Swartvagher, academic dean for Catholic Seminary House of Formation, Douglastown, N.Y., and seminarians Stephen Rooney of the Diocese of Rockville Centre; Dominik Wegiel of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Steven Diaz of the Archdiocese of New York, had undertaken the trip in order to raise awareness for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In an earlier interview, Father Swartvagher explained, “We believe there is something unique about the physical and sacrificial element of biking.... we feel strongly about our task to promote vocations.”

As the five men pulled up to the parish grounds and rode through the wrought iron gates, the Bible verse on their white t-shirts became clear. Known as “the great commission” by Christ to his followers, it read “Matthew 28:19 – ‘Go and make disciples of all nations.’” They were met by pastor Father Dennis Apoldite, who also serves as diocesan director of vocations and the house of discernment. The pilgrims, still astride their bikes, bowed their heads to pray with their brother priest, then dismounted and climbed the steps to the more than 200-year-old church, reverently examining the vaulted ceilings, statues and paintings inside the oldest Catholic parish in the state.

Father Apoldite noted, “This is an excellent idea for vocations. These gentlemen have the time and energy to make this bicycle pilgrimage, and it’s good to make people aware of it.”

The quintet has been detailing their adventures along their route on their website, biking4vocations.org, a Facebook page and Twitter account. A tweet from June 9 shows the five cyclists meeting with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa.; the Bishop is lecturing at a week-long clerkship program for seminarians of the Diocese.

Father Fitzgerald noted the men “prayed the Rosary as we rode, and remembered the intentions of the people we met along the way.” He continued, “It’s neat; we had encounters with lots of people: a waitress, a kid in school, a young man discerning the priesthood. They all asked us for prayers, and that’s what we do.”

Father Swartvagher, displaying a six-inch gash on his forearm from a fall from his bicycle in South Carolina, was nonetheless enthusiastic about the trip. “We had a lot of positive encounters as we rode through neighborhoods. People would read our jerseys and shout, ‘Pray for us!’” he remembered.

The priest continued, “We are creating an opportunity for a conversation, which is hard in our society. It is hard to quiet down and listen to God’s voice and enter into a conversation.”

Sacred Heart Parish is planning a Mass for Vocations June 10 at 7 p.m. in their 343 South Broad Street church. Father Apoldite will serve as principal celebrant with Fathers Swartvagher and Fitzgerald concelebrating. The three seminarians will proclaim the readings during the Mass, and be available to tell their vocation stories afterward.