From Haight-Ashbury to idaho: search for Truth leads man to Catholic Church

By Philip A. Janquart

ICR Editor

JEROME—San Francisco was the place to be during the height of 1960s counterculture, and Dave Johns grew up right in the middle of it.

But decades later, in April of this year, he found himself in the quiet grace of the Easter Vigil at St. Jerome Parish in Jerome, Idaho.

“I wasn’t raised religious at all, nothing like that,” Johns told the Idaho Catholic Register. “My journey was quite ‘the journey.’”

Born in 1959 and raised in the Bay Area, Johns came of age during a period of dramatic cultural change.

One of his earliest and most formative

Dave Johns is baptized

memories came at age 10, when he spent the summer of 1969 living with his older sister in a commune near Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.

“We’re talking ground zero of the hippie movement,” he said.

The experience left a lasting impression, though not in the way some might expect.

“I learned that I did not like hippies at all,” he said, chuckling. “I thought they were stinky and lazy—but I loved their music.”

That summer also introduced him to live rock music, Johns attending his first concert—the Rolling Stones—and later witnessing performances by Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.

“Not many people can say that,” he said.

Faith was not a part of his early life. Instead, Johns gravitated toward martial arts and the philosophical ideas that often accompany them. While he encountered elements of Buddhism, he said it was more about practical wisdom than religious commitment.

“It was more in the teaching sense,” he said. “Things like discipline, mindset—not worship.”

A turning point came in 1979, when Johns enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. During his six years of service—including time in the reserves—he began to encounter Christianity on a deeper, more personal level.

The first steps

One moment in particular stood out to him. It was a visit to a friend’s home, where he noticed a poster of the poem “Footprints in the Sand.”

The poem is about a person walking along a beach with God while scenes from his life appear in the sky in a vision. In the sand, he notices there are two sets of footprints—his own and God’s.

During the hardest moments of his life, however, he sees only one set of footprints, triggering feelings of abandonment and causing the person to ask God why He left him in times of suffering.

God responds, saying that those were the times when He picked up the man and carried him.

“I started tearing up,” Johns said. “I didn’t understand why, but something was happening.”

Soon after, another encounter deepened that experience. A blacklight image of Christ on the cross, accompanied by the words, “How much did I love you? This much,” struck him in a powerful way.

“That hit me again,” he said. “I just knew I had to look into this.”

He began attending a Methodist church, marking his first sustained step into Christian faith.

But the path was not linear. When the congregation eventually closed, Johns drifted away from regular church attendance, though he continued to read Scripture and reflect on spiritual questions.

After leaving the Air Force in 1985, Johns moved to Idaho, settling in Jerome after first encountering the state during military exercises.

“I fell in love with Idaho,” he said. “I knew I needed to get away from the concrete jungle.”

A simpler life

Eager to build a life in his new home, Johns immersed himself in the outdoors—hiking, climbing and exploring. He became an accomplished “caver,” discovering and mapping more than 300 caves for the Bureau of Land Management. At the same time, he worked a wide range of jobs, from cartography at the county courthouse to warehouse management, while also pursuing his talents as an artist.

“I did whatever I needed to do to support my family,” he said.

Spiritually, however, he was still searching. Influenced by friends, Johns spent time exploring The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While he appreciated the sincerity of those he met, he found himself wrestling with questions.

“The more I studied, the more I realized it (The LDS Church) wasn’t really it,” he said. “I was looking for something consistent—something that didn’t change.”

That search eventually led him to reconsider Catholicism, a faith he had previously heard about but never committed to exploring. His introduction came in part through online interactions and in part through his volunteer work at a local soup kitchen operated by St. Jerome Catholic Church.

“I was already helping there, and I just thought to ask, ‘Do you have classes I can take?’” he said.

What began as curiosity quickly became conviction. Within less than a year, Johns enrolled in formation classes and prepared to enter the Church.

“It just made sense,” he said. “And more than that—it felt like home.”

A new life

That sense of belonging culminated at the Easter Vigil this year, when Johns was baptized, confirmed and received the Eucharist for the first time.

“It was one of the most spiritual experiences I’ve ever had,” he said. “There was a warmth that covered me.”

Receiving the Eucharist, he added, was especially profound.

“It felt like I was in the presence of Christ,” he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that anywhere else.”

Now retired, Johns continues to live in Jerome with his wife, Jan. The couple share a Christian faith, and while health challenges have delayed Jan’s own participation in Catholic formation classes, he said she hopes to begin the process in the near future.

Johns also remains deeply committed to service. He continues to help coordinate volunteers for the parish’s weekly meal program, which provides food to those in need.

“I enjoy serving,” he said. “That’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

He is also considering joining the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal organization known for its charitable work and support of parish life.

“With my background, that kind of brotherhood and service really appeals to me,” he said.

Finding truth

Looking back, Johns sees a clear thread running through his life—a gradual movement toward truth and stability after years of searching.

“I think a lot of people are looking for something solid,” he said. “Something that doesn’t shift.”

For him, that foundation is now firmly rooted in the Catholic faith.

Reflecting on his journey, Johns said he hopes others who may be searching will remain open to where God is leading them.

“He’s constantly calling us,” he said. “No matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been—He wants you to come home.”

After decades of exploration, Johns believes he has finally answered that call.

“I just feel at home,” he said.