‘Wheels’ service keeps faith in motion
When retired Anglican bishop Gary Woolsey was rector of St. Peter’s Church in Calgary years ago, he and his wife belonged to the Chinook Wings Motorcycle Club.
“I thought, ‘Why don’t I invite the motorcycle club to Sunday service and we can do a different style of service,’ ” Woolsey says. “That became very popular.”
After he retired, he started attending St. Martin’s Anglican Church.
That initial thought has turned into the annual Blessing of the Wheels service — and the seventh annual service at the church now attracts more than just motorcyclists to the special Sunday service.
The service has expanded to include wheelchairs, bikes, scooters, cars, tricycles, skateboards, strollers — really anything with wheels.
“We’ve had a fellow with an antique fire truck. One parent said, ‘My son is turning 16 and he’s getting a car for the first time and I’d really like to have it blessed.’ So it kind of grew,” Woolsey says.
Each year Woolsey’s motorcycle club members come in full regalia and with their wheels. The service includes a time for children and follows the form of worship used in the Anglican Church, with the sermon offered by Woolsey and often with a theme of journey/travelling/following.
At the end of the service, all the wheels are blessed.
This year’s Blessing of the Wheels is on May 27 at 10 a.m. St. Martin’s meets for its Sunday worship at the Calgary Academy, at 1677 93rd St. S.W.
“It’s become a real fun event, but also people thinking about not only what the wheels in their lives mean, but kind of looking at where the blessings they received in travelling, also with friends, but also how many have used their wheels to help others,” Woolsey says. “Not only the blessings you receive, but also the blessings that you give because of this.”