Holy Helmets: 180,000 Bikers Get Heavenly Blessing at Fatima Shrine

Portuguese Bikers Pray for Safe Rides and Smooth Roads

Nothing says “road safety” quite like having your helmet sprinkled with holy water. Priests dressed in robes, bikers in leathers and helmets getting a sprinkle of holy water. Even the police joined in to get their helmets protected by holy insurance.

Over 180,000 Portuguese bikers got together, not for a rally or a music festival, but to get their helmets blessed. The legion of leather-clad pilgrims roared up to the Our Lady of Fatima holy shrine, one of the holiest sites in Portugal, which was also visited by Pope Francis in 2023, to ask for extra divine protection.

Forget leather jackets and growling engines; this year’s biggest accessory for bikers is a blessed helmet.  

“We’re shaped and guided by what we love!” declared the pilgrimage motto. For some of the bikers, that’s their trusty Kawasaki, and for others, a prayer to the Virgin before revving up.

But beyond the helmet blessings and booming engines, many riders attended to remember lost family and friends, especially those who passed away in road accidents. There were nearly 9,000 motorbike accidents in Portugal in 2023 alone, which was a similar number to Spain. Meanwhile, the UK recorded almost double these figures in 2023, with 16,756 accidents involving motorcycles, according to Statista. Germany also posted worrying numbers, with 27,927 motorcycle accidents in 2022.

Road safety, in general, is a major concern around Europe, including Spain. In 2022, Spain’s DGT published its 2030 Road Safety Strategy plan, which included specific ways to reduce traffic accidents nationwide.