Leather jackets, dark sunglasses, the powerful roar of Royal Enfields and bikers speeding along an empty highway… It’s what one would imagine, when you think of bike trips.

The Bikers Pilgrimage recently organized by the Diocesan Youth Centre had all that (except speeding) and much more.

Flagged off by Bishop John Rodrigues, the pilgrimage began from Mount Mary’s Basilica in Bandra, after he said prayers and individually blessed each of the 20 riders and 18 pillions (between 18-30 years), 6 animators, 2 priests and a deacon.

“2016 is the ‘Year of Mercy’. Instead of having a regular session on it, we wanted to offer to our youth something different.Youngsters like bikes, so we decided to have a bike pilgrimage that would combine fun and spirituality. But biking and racing are two sides of the same coin, and this was not a race. Since it held at a slower pace with stops for prayer and reflection, it was out of the comfort zone for bikers, making it a mercy activity. The pilgrimage was also about a higher goal—to spread and pray for peace in today’s world.

On the Diocesan level, the pilgrimage is the first of its kind as far as we can remember,” shares Deacon Ivan Fernandes, one of the organisers.

“En Route to the final destination—Our Lady of Fatima Church, Karjat—the riders had their share of pit stops to fuel their tanks, bellies and souls—at Sacred Heart Church, Vashi; Don Bosco and Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Karjat. “The pilgrimage was a good balance of prayer, fun and learning,” says 22-year-old Sanjana Dias, the only woman rider.

“It was not only about faith. At Don Bosco Karjat, Fr. Xavier spoke about the importance of environmental sustainability, about recycling not just paper, but other household stuff—growing plants in an unused TV, tabla or scooter; dry and wet waste; and drip irrigation amongst other things,” shares Kalina-resident Kimberlyann Gonsalves.

Apart from the spiritual encounter, the young pilgrims also learned to look out for each other along the way.

“We had to learn hand signals so that we could signal to the others when we came across potholes or speedbreakers; it was another way of learning about team spirit,” Sanjana tells us. “Bikes have always been my passion and I’ve been riding for five years. I’ve travelled with many biking clubs and companies that organize road trips, but it was the first time I’d heard of a religious community organizing a bikers’ pilgrimage. I loved the enthusiasm that it brought,” concludes seasoned biker Jeffin Nadar.

(Source: DNA India)