Exactly one year ago, I walked into St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the first time in my life to capture one of the most important events in the country.
But I didn’t expect what was coming…
Let’s go back to the beginning. A couple of months before the Eucharistic Procession, I booked a ticket to New York City—flying in the morning and back out in the evening. The flight times worked perfectly, and I even had time to stop for coffee.
It was my second year covering the event, and I shared a video to invite people to this beautiful celebration. Even David Henrie said he will be there, so I knew I could expect him.
I arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral before 3 p.m., just as the meditation was starting. Giorgio Cardinal Marengo and Fr. Ambrose Criste gave beautiful talks on the Holy Eucharist (which you can find here).
But what came next was a surprise. The person announcing the speakers said, “Now we will hear from Jonathan Roumie.” No one was expecting that! I believe the Napa Institute chose not to announce it beforehand, since that would have drawn an even larger crowd.
Then came that familiar voice—the actor who plays Jesus in The Chosen. His words were filled with reverence and a powerful call to conversion, especially to Catholicism and confession. It was deeply moving and gave me confidence in the authenticity of his faith.
(And what I really respected was seeing him kneel to receive Holy Communion on the tongue.)
A beautiful Mass followed, led by Cardinal Dolan. Afterward, we flooded the streets of New York City with the Lord Jesus Christ in the monstrance! Around 5,000 people gave public witness to the Catholic faith.
But that’s not the end of the story—I want to share a little failure of mine…
At the end of the event, Jonathan Roumie and David Henrie were seated in the front pew. As soon as the benediction ended, they headed out through the back of the cathedral to avoid the crowds. I happened to be right in front of them!
I quickly asked David for a selfie. I pointed my camera at us, pressed the button—and it didn’t work.
I felt like a total amateur! I started fumbling with the settings, trying to make a joke as the seconds ticked by. Jonathan was leaving, David was super patient, and finally, I got it working and snapped the photo—of course forgetting to look at the lens!
In the last second, I managed to catch Jonathan and ask him for a selfie. He was so friendly—his face leaned right toward mine, practically touching. I felt like I was touching a lamb! 🙂
It was an amazing experience, even though I panicked a bit and basically failed big time as a “professional” photographer. But here’s a piece of advice: laugh it off, move on, and learn from it. At the end of the day, humility is always a good class to take. 😉
Before leaving, I gave my business cards to Jonathan and David, offering them photos from the event. And guess what? Something I never thought would happen—I received an email from Jonathan Roumie’s publicist, Lisa!
We’ll see what comes out of it, but it’s already a great connection. God is good!
AMDG.
