By Lisa Kava
Are you a cyclist looking to mark the beginning of a new season in a unique way? Or a scooter rider who is excited that spring is finally here? Those who enjoy getting around the city by bicycle or other “forms of human-powered vehicles” are invited to a special ceremony on the Upper West Side this Saturday.
The 24th Annual “Blessing of the Bicycles” will be held inside The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, on Saturday April 30th from 9 – 10 AM.
At the ceremony, The Reverend Patrick Malloy, Canon for Liturgy and the Arts and Sub Dean of the Cathedral, will sprinkle “Holy Water” on each bicycle and offer a blessing to “jumpstart a safe cycling season.” A moment of silence in remembrance of cyclists lost during the past year will take place after the blessing. At the end of the ceremony, all in attendance will ring their bicycle bells to mark the new cycling season.
The event was founded in 1998 by Glen Goldstein, president of Bicycle Shows U.S., a company that organizes bike trips and rides. His mom had sent him a newspaper clipping about an event called Blessing of the Motorcycles. “Like all good Jewish sons everywhere, I rolled my eyes when I saw yet another newspaper clip coming in from my mom, threw it away, and promptly forgot all about it.”
Some years later, the article clipping came back to Goldstein as he thought about doing a similar event with bikes. He decided to approach the Cathedral of Saint John because “it is the most beautiful cathedral around, in my opinion, and has a good reputation for being open minded and supporting the community.”
The Blessing of the Bicycles is open to “everyone who gets around town on a bike, scooter, skates, unicycle, or other form of human-powered vehicle,” of all religious backgrounds. In past years, hundreds of cyclists representing a variety of religions participated.
The ceremony, which is free, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blessing of the Bicycles is scheduled to take place the day before BIKE NEW YORK, The Five Borough Bicycle Tour. Attendees are encouraged to bring their cameras. Face masks and proof of vaccination are required.
The event will be “short, fun, silly, spiritual, and heartbreaking,” Goldstein told West Side Rag in an email. He is humble and does not want the ceremony to be about him. “I’m proud to be the person who thought it up and made it happen, but on Blessing Day, I don’t want to be the star of the show – I’m just some guy who helps out where I can.”
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Maybe they can add that they hope the cyclists will occasionally follow the traffic rules so they don’t endanger pedestrians who are actually using crosswalks while they have the the light and right of way. Just occasionally.
Maybe they can add that they hope the pedestrians will occasionally follow the traffic rules so they don’t endanger cyclists who are actually using bike lanes and roadways while they have the light and right of way.
That would require a full-fledged miracle on the scale of Christmas, not a mere blessing.
they scare the hell out of me
Absurd use of time and energy (and money).
It is very odd, I have to agree.
Religious tolerance has nothing to do with this.
But if some people like it – why not.
I mean, I guess you could conclude that churches and synagogues “waste” time, energy, and money if you don’t believe in what they believe or if they don’t do the types of things that you would personally enjoy doing. But that’s a pretty extreme position, and a bit of religious tolerance is a very good thing.
A lovely way to bring people together, bring a spiritual note into daily life and vice-versa, and a great use of a very beautiful asset! I don’t think it’s a waste of anything.
Funny! Challenge you to write one!
Why this piece did not appear under the “absurdity” heading is beyond me. What’s next blessing of the toaster ovens?
Since I’m an avid walker, can I bring all my shoes to get blessed. Just asking.
Just bring their soles.
People, stop being so negative. What May seem negative and ridiculous to some may bring a little happiness and new friendships to others. Show me the harm and then I might agree with you
“….everyone who gets around town on a bike, scooter, skates, unicycle or any other form of human-powered vehicle…”
Now that bikes have been officially blessed, how about a special turbo-charged blessing for all us us who traverse the UWS using human-powered walkers, rollators, canes and tired old feet. We’re at the mercy of cyclists who feel entitled to ride on sidewalks, ignore traffic lights, and veer impatiently around us. A “safe cycling season” includes the actual and potential victims of bad bikers, blessed or otherwise.
The comments are so cynical,wow. Yes, there are a lot of bad cyclists out there but the truth is cycling in the city especially for commercial work is one of the most dangerous jobs you can do so the blessing of the safety of cyclists makes sense. How do you think you receive your take out food. By cyclists in dangerous/rough conditions. I myself worked delivery for a long time and have not hit by cars twice. Throughout the years I have had bike messenger friends who have had their coworkers and close buddies lose there lives due to reckless drivers. If this event allows this community a feeling of safety in the upcoming seasons then there is nothing wrong with that.
I was riding my scooter north on CPW on Wednesday afternoon in the protected bike lane. At the right turn into the park on 81st st, a truck pulling a food cart was turning. I stopped to let it turn, even though technically I had the signal in my favor.
The truck was literally half way through the turn and a bicyclist came whizzing by me and weaved around the front of the truck and kept on going.
If he had gotten hit or seriously injured, the truck driver would have been blamed when it was clearly the cyclist at fault.
It reminds me of the man who died in what I would imagine is a similar situation on the 86th/CPW corner last year.
This is just one example I have witnessed of cyclists behaving badly.
But that’s the point – YOU had to stop for fear of being hit even though you had the right of way. Now the other guy might not value self preservation so much but legally speaking he is right. As a cyclist I am frequently cut off by right turning vehicles – but I try to ride defensively and don’t spend my time yelling about irresponsible car drivers,