posted 12/01/2025
This story is a part of a series of missionary contributions where you’ll hear more about their “why” for defending and celebrating life with Biking for Babies.
Chris was a first-year support crew missionary who was a part of the OHW (Ohio West) Team in 2025.
Starting off easy: who is Chris Dacanay?
CD: I was raised Catholic, living in the Pittsburgh, PA, area. I attended Catholic school all the way up through high school, but experienced a reversion to the faith the summer before I left for college. I considered myself an agnostic and moral relativist at the time. Doubts about my own worth and the meaning of life eventually caught up to me, and the desolation opened my heart to being moved by God. To make a long story short, He showed me that life isn’t about living for myself, but rather knowing, loving and serving Him. I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, where I studied journalism, and I now work in the news media industry in Pittsburgh. I enjoy ministering to others, spending time with family and friends, and making music. Where God takes me next in life, I don’t know — and that’s cool with me!
What initially attracted you to Biking for Babies, and what helped you to stick it out when things go more difficult during this season?
CD: While at Franciscan, I became friends with Joe Massaro. He went on to become a Biking for Babies missionary, and eventually a team leader. Leading up to his third ride, and first time leading, he invited me to be part of the mission. Listening to his pitch, I loved that Biking for Babies was an opportunity for me to sacrifice my time and energy as a young professional. As I mentioned earlier, I spent some time away from the Church, and that led me to believe some pretty rotten things. One of those things was the “my body, my choice” mentality. I figured that women can do what they want with their bodies — as long as it doesn’t affect me, it’s OK. That’s what the culture pushed me to believe, and I gave in. But something never sat quite right with me. Deep down, I knew what abortion really was: the killing of a helpless, unborn child in the womb. That reality would take on a whole other dimension for me when I came back to the faith — realizing that each person has an inherent dignity, being created uniquely in the image and likeness of God. But even from a secular perspective, abortion is murder. What’s a human is always a human, and snuffing out a life in its earliest stages is just as horrible as doing so later on. All that is to say, I realize the bad path I was on earlier in my life, and now I want to do things that counteract my previous mistakes. So, when I heard the invitation to Biking for Babies, I really considered it. I thought, this is a way for me to promote the real beauty, the gift of human life, and maybe help people who are in the wrong mindset about life, like I was before. That really motivated me to get on board and stick things out when it got tough — knowing that this fight is so much bigger than myself, but I can play at least a small part.
What qualities or personal missions/charisms (how the Lord is inviting you to share his love with others) within yourself are enhanced or grown because of your formation with Biking for Babies?
CD: Biking for Babies really promoted my ability to love sacrificially. Like a lot of people, admittedly, I have a bad habit of wanting to help others until it starts becoming an inconvenience or uncomfortable. But when love starts to hurt is exactly when it’s the most needed, in my opinion. Love is sacrifice, and it’s not truly love if it only extends halfway. Jesus gave everything for us on the cross — he didn’t call it quits when the burden got a bit too heavy. The Biking for Babies formation showed me why this kind of love is so important, and the National Ride really gave me the opportunity to live it out. It was only a week-long taste, but it opened my mind up so much about how much potential I have to love — and how far I still have to go to meet that potential. I try thinking about this while keeping in mind women in unplanned pregnancies. The women who ultimately choose life and choose to parent their child are so strong, it’s unbelievable. I can’t imagine how much love must be in their hearts to make such a difficult decision — when the whole world tells you that keeping this child means your life is over, but in truth, it means the start of something so profoundly amazing and beautiful. The truth isn’t always clear, so when mothers take that leap of faith for their child, it’s incredibly inspiring. That’s sacrificial love in action. I hope I can continually develop that quality in myself, now that Biking for Babies has helped it blossom.
Your team looked like y’all had a great time this summer. What was your favorite memory or experience from the formation program this year (including pre-ride, National Ride, and post-ride)? What was your favorite part of being a support crew missionary? 
CD: We did have a really great time. My team was awesome, and we bonded really well. A lot of inside jokes came from the National Ride. From the whole formation experience, I’d have to say my favorite memory was the speaking engagements each day, or every other day, during the Ride. Not joking whatsoever — I give all credit to the Holy Spirit for speaking in me and through me at all these different events. He filled my heart up each time and truly gave me the words to say, so when it came time to socialize or speak in front of a crowd, I always knew the right thing to say. It sounds cliche, but I am not exaggerating whatsoever when I say that there were times when it felt like it wasn’t even me speaking — just truth and goodness being poured out through me from the Lord. The grace was abundant that week, and simply because I opened myself up to it, God delivered. And that grace is open to all of us, we just need to ask for it. That’s why I think having the opportunity to speak at parishes, pregnancy resource centers, and even the Celebration of Life were some of my favorite moments. And since the riders were tired at the end of the day, I was glad to take the lead socially during the events. That’s one of my favorite ways that I got to serve, as support crew.
If you could give someone considering joining Biking for Babies encouragement for doing so, especially as a support crew missionary, what would you tell them?
CD: Anyone with a heart for people, especially the unborn, should definitely do this. What a great use of your time and energy, which, honestly, we young adults have a lot of. Once again, I’m not trying to sound cliche, or just say something because it sounds good. I mean everything that I’m saying here: Biking for Babies will challenge you in ways you never knew you needed to be challenged, if you’re open to it. If you’re serious about your faith and the value of human life, then you should do something about it — we all should. And with Biking for Babies, here’s an extremely positive and rewarding way to get involved.
How did the Lord work through your time with Biking for Babies this year, and what was the impact of this experience on how you live out your faith now?
CD: I need to be more humble. That became painfully obvious during the National Ride. Just this morning, I was at adoration and prayed with this scripture, when the disciples ask Jesus who will be greatest in the kingdom. And Jesus placed a child in front of them. He’s not making a statement about the child’s innocence, but rather, about the child’s dependence. I need to realize my own total dependence on God. I realize that I’m never going to have everything under control. No one has the ultimate say over his or her life and what happens in it. When we realize our own dependence on God, it frees us from worry. So many unexpected things happen during the National Ride, you start to realize, huh, I’m really not in control here. That presented me with an opportunity to trust in God and just do the next right thing, believing that He’ll take me where I need to be. I love how Biking for Babies formation gives you the space to realize this. I certainly realized it, and it’s thoroughly changed my outlook on life since the ride ended. I’m more joyful than I was — I’m more free. Everyone can have this too, and in even greater amounts. So, thank you to Biking for Babies for making it happen in me!
Rapid fire: 1) what was your favorite National Ride snack? 2) what was your favorite stop for this year?, and 3) what’s the best music to listen to in the support vehicle?
CD: 1) Honey Stinger waffles. Those things are otherworldly. 2) The giant cross in Effingham, Illinois. It was really cool to see, though unfortunately we didn’t get to explore the entire campus. Everyone in Effingham was so faithful and nice, by the way! That should definitely be a stop next year. 3) I’m a songbird. I was always singing something a cappella in the van — perhaps to the other support crew members’ annoyance. We all sang “Country Roads” a few times, and I got to play it on my guitar. Great song, and everybody knows it!
Chris’ willingness to be pushed deeper in his faith and grow in humility are great desires for us to aspire to. We hope that you, reader, are inspired to step into wherever God is calling you to grow.
We are proud that Chris is a Biking for Babies missionary, for life!
You can find similar impact stories throughout our blog.
