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The Age: Blessed are the bike riders

On any given Sunday, it is not unusual to hear the solemn ringing of historic church bells. But yesterday, a chorus of different bells rang out across Fitzroy for a different religious service.In what was claimed to be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, about 100 cyclists gathered at Fitzroy’s Edinburgh Gardens for an ecumenical service where they and their bikes were blessed by an Anglican bishop, a Buddhist venerable and a Muslim imam.

The service was held partly in response to the death of a female cyclist last month during peak hour in Melbourne’s CBD. Many participated by ringing the bells of their bikes during the messages and prayers of the speakers, which included pleas to deities for cyclists to be kept safe while riding and that cyclists be granted the “resilience to brave the elements and enjoy the sport”.

Geri Kelder, of Brunswick East, said while she was not religiously affiliated, she had enjoyed the service and thought it important.

“I think it’s a good thing to celebrate bicycles in Melbourne (and) I think it’s a lovely idea to bless cyclists and bikes in this ceremony because it’s a really important message to say that it’s unsafe, sometimes, to ride on a bike,” she said.

“I quite like the idea that it was not just one denomination — if it was denominational, I don’t think I would have come and the fact that there was quite a few different representatives of different religions I think (made it) a very open event.”

I had a few words in the media earlier in the week, but Geri said it much more nicely.

Peace.