LA hospital hosts 15th annual blessing of the bikes

On Tuesday, May 15, local bicyclists gathered at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles to receive blessings from a nun, a singing rabbi, an imam, and other religious leaders, in an annual tradition now in its 15^th year. 

Offering the Catholic prayer was Sister Yolanda (Yoly) Vega, a member of the religious community Sisters of Social Service. Sister Yoly has been blessing cyclists for the last three years, and she has witnessed riders of all nationalities and creeds coming out to pray together for safe travels. 

The Blessing of the Bicycles is the brainchild of hospital CEO and president Andrew Leeka, an avid cyclist. He hopes to raise awareness and promote safety for local bikers, many of whom don’t see biking as a hobby, but rather as a necessity to get around. 

Bikers who attended the event took a commemorative lap around the hospital in honor of those injured in bicycle accidents.