A downtown Toronto church will be offering some spiritual insurance this weekend to those willing to brave the dangers of urban cycling.
Trinity-St. Paul's United Church will hold its second annual Blessing of the Bikes Sunday afternoon, praying for those who commute through city streets with pedals and two wheels.
"They can come by as a gesture of solidarity with the whole bicycling community in Toronto who want to make the city safe and flourishing for bicycling," Trinity-St. Paul's Rev. Vicki Obedkoff told ctvtoronto.ca.
Cyclists seeking the reassurance of a blessing are asked to roll their bikes right to the sanctuary's altar, where they'll be blessed with cedar branches dipped in water while a member of the church will offer a prayer based on an Irish blessing.
A recent Toronto survey suggests that more than half of the city's residents ride bicycles at some point during the year, while 29 per cent of cyclists are daily riders. With cars and bikes foist together in an unholy partnership on city streets, injuries can be common.
Toronto has the highest number of accidents involving cyclists of any Canadian city, according to a new report. In 2010, there were 1,145 accidents involving a bicycle – about 42 for every 100,000 people.
But while some people may attend the blessing out of concern for road safety, Obedkoff says others will be drawn by the connection between cycling and spirituality.
Obedkoff says cyclists do their part in the "great turning," ensuring the sustainability of earth and the environment.
"We consider bicycling to be a spiritual practice, in terms of care of creation and how we are called to play our part in the great turning," said Obedkoff. "We say people who consistently ride their bicycles, putting up with inadequate bike safety in Toronto, are really stepping up to do what needs to be done."
More than 50 cyclists attended the Annex church's blessing last summer, seeking spiritual security for themselves and others.
Trinity St. Paul's United Church isn't alone in its mission to bring divinity to the daily commute.
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York has been blessing bicycles for more than a decade, calling hundreds of cyclists from all faiths to bring their bikes right into the church.
Similar blessings are held in Los Angeles, Melbourne and Hamilton, Ont. Other churches hold such blessings for leather-clad motorcyclists.
The practice appears to have evolved from the blessing of the fleet, a Mediterranean tradition in which a priest would bless fishing vessels at the start of a new season.
"We like to feel that it strengthens a person, it offers hospitality and it invokes a spirit of life to be especially present and remind people riding their bikes that others are thinking about them, even if we are not on our bicycles," Obedkoff said.
The Blessing of the Bicycles is on May 29 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor St. W.
