Good Morning SuperForest!
SuperForester Christine just sent us word about the 11th annual blessing of the bikes!
If you bike ride in NYC, you can use all the help you can get, mystical or otherwise.
Come join your fellow riders this Saturday at 9:30 AM @ St. John the Divine, and we’ll sprinkle our rides with holy water and get them blessed. Fun! All faiths are welcome.
Here’s the full invite:
“Hi Friends,
Mark your calendar for this very special event.
Wear your usual cycle clothing and bring your bike (or skates or non-motorized scooter) INSIDE the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for the 11th Annual Blessing of the Bikes.
Our friend Reverend Tom*, will say a few kind words and then sprinkle our bikes with Holy Water. There is a moment of silence to remember those cyclists we’ve lost in the past year, a chance for everyone to ring their bicycle bells in celebration of cycling, and we’re gone.
Please note that this event is wonderful but BRIEF — if you are even a little late, you’ll miss it! Please be on time!
Bring your camera so we can post your Blessing of the Bikes photos here. After the event just email your photos to photos@theblessingofthebikes.com
Regardless of your religious beliefs you are welcome. (I happen to be Jewish – go figure!) We’ve been doing this for 11 years now, and I’ve never heard from anyone that the event made them uncomfortable. In other words, you will be blessed and welcomed; you will not be lectured.
The interesting thing to me about the Blessing of the Bikes is that some people take it very seriously, some think it’s all a big joke, and some are deeply offended. No mater which of those opinions works for you… good on you!
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is one of the great cathedrals in New York, if not the world. (Please — no cathedral-ranking e-mail from you architecture experts out there!)
Wear what you like – your usual cycling and skating gear is fine – but if you have cycle shoes with exposed cleats (such as Look or Speedplay), and you don’t have rubber cleat covers, you will be asked to take your shoes off and leave them at the door so you don’t scratch up the floors.
This is a particularly special year for us — a large portion of the Cathedral has been closed for years in order to repair the damage from a fire in 2001, and this is the first time since then that we will be back in the Cathedral’s beautiful main section. (I thought it was going to be reopened for last year’s Blessing of the Bikes, but I was wrong!) This also marks the 11th anniversary of the Blessing of the Bikes.
The Blessing of the Bicycles is free. However, before you leave we will pass the hat (pass the helmet?) to raise some money for the church. They are not charging us for this event, and they do great work in the neighborhood for the homeless. (Besides, they have electricity and heating bills to pay too, just like everyone else). No matter what your religion I personally believe that these folks deserve our support. The contribution is ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY, although I would suggest that you kick in as much as you spent during your last snack break while out skating or cycling. One hundred percent of the money you donate goes directly to the Cathedral. We don’t make anything on this event and we don’t want to.
This schedule is still a little loose, so your suggestions for music or other features are welcome. (Although we will be keeping it short, so no lengthy speeches, please!)
This free event is presented by BICYCLE SHOWS U.S., but the REAL credit belongs to our good friends at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Special thanks are due to The Reverend Canon Thomas P. Miller, S.T.M. and to Herb Katz (now retired) at the Cathedral — there are many places in this city where we are not welcome, and these gentlemen have always invited us in to their Cathedral home every year.
Drop me a note with your questions or suggestions. See you soon.
Glen
glen @ theblessingofthebikes .com
*Properly this should be The Reverend Canon Thomas P. Miller S.T.M. of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, but he’s a friendly and easy-going guy, so…
Here’s the B of the B website.
Sweet! I will be there, so if you’re a NY SuperForest reader and you’d like to meet SuperForester Jackson, come on up to St. J the D and let’s hang!
Love to All.
Recent Comments