After being involved in a motorcycle accident two years ago, Plainfield, Conneticut resident Scott LaPorte changed a lot of his riding habits. “I always argued with my wife about wearing a motorcycle  helmet,” LaPorte said. “I happened to be wearing a helmet that day and it was a real safety measure. Now I wear my Bell helmet all the time.”

LaPorte was not seriously injured, but the accident made him want to take extra precaution, which brought him to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Saturday for the Blessing of the Bikes.
\After a short liturgical ceremony on the lawn of the church, around 45 motorcycles were blessed individually by church officials with holy water and a short blessing.
The Rev. Eleanor Applewhite Terry, the church’s vicar, said the church began the event last year because several parishioners ride motorcycles and as warmer weather approaches, so does the season for riding.
“It just seemed like a natural opportunity to reach out to the community and offer our blessing,” Terry said.
Terry said the ceremony provides a link between the church and spirituality and the beauty of God’s creation the riders see when on their bikes.
“It’s a good way to start the season, with a blessing,” said Plainfield resident Joyce Bryant. “Keeps you safe the rest of the year.”
Bryant, a member of the committee for the event, said while the blessing is spiritual, it also serves as a reminder to all motorcycle riders to be safe throughout the year.
Bryant said safety tips she offers to other riders include wearing a helmet, sturdy shoes and long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect skin in the event of a fall, though she said she hopes the blessing prevents the falls.
Plainfield residents Ron and Mary Jane Lussier said they always wanted to have their motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Road King, blessed for religious reasons, though they take other safety precautions in the form of wearing motorcycle helmets and performing regular bike maintenance.
“It’s a secure feeling,” Ron Lussier said of receiving the blessing