WINTHROP -- "It's tough finding a holy sticker," Brian Flanagan laments.

Flanagan, of Pepperell, is the president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Catholic Cross Bearers, a 200-member Ohio-based "motorcycle ministry" that uses biker culture to evangelize. His black motorcycle helmet is covered in stickers with slogans like "Jesus loves bikers too," "Satan sucks," and "Jesus saves sinners, loud pipes just sound cool." Some of the stickers are his creations, while others he found online. It's not easy to find Catholic messages at motorcycle rallies. To the Catholic Cross Bearers, this makes them perfect places to spread the Gospel.

"This ministry allows me to show Jesus to the world and have the world recognize it," Flanagan told The Pilot.

Flanagan and about a dozen other bikers, their leather jackets patched with Catholic symbols and slogans, rode to St. John the Evangelist Church in Winthrop for a Blessing of the Motorcycles. The bikers donated food to the St. John's food pantry, and shared coffee and donuts while talking about their bikes and the adventures they have had while riding them. Father Patrick O'Connor, parochial vicar at St. John's, delivered the blessing and sprinkled the bikes and their owners with holy water. It was his first time blessing motorcycles.

"It was great to see these people who love their motorcycles so much and want that heavenly protection," he told The Pilot.

Father O'Connor hopes that the Blessing of the Motorcycles will become an annual tradition. The idea for the event came from one of his parishioners, Catholic Cross Bearer Rich Michaud. Michaud sings and plays guitar in St. John's music ministry, and sometimes wears his biker clothes to Mass.

Michaud said that on his motorcycle is exactly where Jesus wants him to be.

"He wants us to be the hands and feet," Michaud said, "and we're out there in the streets. We're out there with people that aren't that nice, and they need to see Jesus. You know what? You have a cross on your back, they ask questions, and it opens up the conversation.

"We're not all bad tough guys. No criminals. We're good people who believe in God, love Jesus," he said.

The Catholic Cross Bearers of Massachusetts minister in prisons and volunteer with My Brother's Keeper food pantry in Easton. To Father O'Connor, they're doing "exactly what Christ asks us to do."

"Any time we can get people to get somewhat intrigued by the Church and come to get something blessed is a beautiful opportunity," he said.

Speaking to The Pilot, the Catholic Cross Bearers shared similar stories. Their passion for motorcycles has been lifelong, but many of them have lost and regained their Catholic faith through personal trials. Flanagan described his life as one of "sinning, drinking, and partying" before he came back to the Church.

"I wandered away from it for a while, got into a bit of a jam, and realized God was the only way to fix it," he said.

Riding on the open road gives him "time to talk with Jesus."

"I'm by myself, focused, and I can just talk to the Lord," he said.

Michaud was raised Catholic but spent some time as a Methodist before returning to Catholicism.

"I love everything about the Catholic religion," he said. "I love receiving the Eucharist, I love being able to go to adoration and have penance for your sins."

He now likes to "go out and experience God's beauty" while riding his motorcycle.

Some time after learning about the Catholic Cross Bearers from a friend, Michaud attended Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire, one of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the country. He noticed the Hells Angels and other bikers wearing colored vests displaying their affiliations and decided to do the same to display his faith.

"I need colors because I need to represent what the true love is," he thought to himself at the time, "about Jesus, and be able to evangelize and get out there."

"I think a lot of people don't want to let people know that we're Catholic or that they have faith," said Jack Hurley of Marshfield, "but we show it every day when we're out riding."

One patch on Hurley's biker jacket reads, "These are my church clothes." Another, which reminds him of his own story, reads, "Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future."

He was raised Catholic but drifted from it, regaining his faith after going on a Cursillo weekend 10 years ago. He said that the stereotype of bikers being violent criminals is somewhat justified, but that the Catholic Cross Bearers want to show people another side of motorcycle culture.

"They're not always the best people," he said of "one percenter" motorcycle clubs like the Hells Angels, "but, surprisingly enough, you meet a lot of them who are, so don't judge that book by its cover."