When 180,000 bikers come to Mass
The machines range from very large to pretty small; some are classics, and some are brand new. As they arrive, so do thousands of men and women, many clad in leather or jean vests they re cuts, in biker jargon emblazoned with the logos patches of an enormous variety of motorcycle clubs.
The bikers laugh, greet and hug each other, and try to make themselves heard over the roar of engines.
So why has The Pillar sent me to what appears to be a biker rally in a small town in central Portugal?
Here s why. This isn t a motorcycle rally, exactly. It s a pilgrimage. And the small town where I m standing happens to be Fátima, one of the most important Catholic shrines in the world.
I am here to experience Fátima s annual Blessing of the Helmets, held Sept. 22 this year, under the motto: We are shaped and fashioned by what we love, a quote from Goethe.
I haven t even left the parking lot one of several that will be packed full of bikes and I am already overwhelmed.