180,000 bikers gather for ‘Blessing of the Helmets’
Tens of thousands of motorcyclists gather in Portugal to receive divine intervention in their riding.
There are many ways to ensure the quality of a motorcycle helmet: ECE 22.06, FIM, Snell, DOT, SHARP, and on and on. But is your helmet REALLY safe if it hasn’t been blessed by a priest?
Thousands of riders gathered in Portugal this weekend to gain that added bit of protection, taking part in the 10th annual pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fatima’s Blessing of the Helmets ceremony.
An estimated 180,000 bikers were at the event, according to The Independent, all seeking to gain spiritual protection from the Virgin Mary. Priests walked among the leather-clad attendees, sprinkling holy water on their helmets. That last sentence makes it sound rude, but it isn’t.
“We make this pilgrimage every year because we have faith that she is always watching over us,” 49-year-old Manuel Santos, told the newspaper.
Interestingly, the Catholic patron saint of motorcycles is actually Columbanus (who was an Irish missionary in the 6th and 7th centuries). But certainly it doesn’t hurt to also be in the good graces of the Holy Virgin.
There were roughly 9,900 motorcycle-related casualties in Portugal last year, with 120 of those incidents being fatalities. Compare that against the 15,952 motorcycle casualties in the UK last year, with 343 deaths.
This sort of thing isn’t new, of course. Motorcyclists are pretty exposed on the open road and we’re happy to receive help from anywhere we can get it. In the United States, it is very common for ride-outs to start with a group prayer.
Although, in Texas, where I'm originally from, EVERYTHING starts with a group prayer: ride-outs, meals, board games.... But all across America (and in other countries), ‘Blessing of the Bikes’ events are often held toward the start of the riding season.
“Many of these motorcyclists come to ask for God’s protection through Our Lady for their trips,” Father Carlos Cabecinhas, the sanctuary's rector, told The Independent. “But they also come to remember those who have already left, who have already died, many of them in accidents and those who are hurt, those who need help.”
Beyond the spiritual, the event also offered a more earthly talk on road safety.
The Sanctuary of Fatima is located in the small town of Fatima, about 75 miles north of Lisbon. It is home to a number of iconic buildings and structures, including a shrine dedicated to three children who saw visions of the Virgin Mary in the early 20th century.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
