Portlanders love cycling. Now they can worship it too. On Monday night, St. Stephens Parish in downtown Portland unveiled a shrine devoted to Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists. The shrine, which replaced an entire section of pews in the church, is the nation’s first of its kind. A painting of St. Madonna created by local artist Martin Wolfe hangs above a tree of candles where Reverend Dennis Parker welcomes cyclists of any belief to bring their bikes in and reflect. On Monday, 35 cyclists did just that for the inaugural bicycle blessing–one that concluded with each bike chain receiving a couple drops of holy oil. Don’t think you can get that at any old bike shop.
So whether you’re planning a cycle tour, regularly deal with dangerous metropolitan commutes, or have lost a loved one to two wheels, stop in to St. Stephen’s Episcopal to seek guidance from Madonna del Ghisallo.
