For the second year in a row, a Holy Roll will be held on the evening of Holy Thursday – March 29. At that time, a throng of cyclists will take to the streets, to seek out seven churches of importance in the City of Buffalo. According to one of the organizers, Fr. William “Jud” Weiksnar, “Six of the seven churches will be those on Broadway-Fillmore’s “One Night and Seven Churches Pilgrimage.” The one exception is Ss. Columba-Brigid Church at 75 Hickory Street, which replaces St. Bernard’s as the starting and ending point. We will also be visiting St. Stanislaus, Corpus Christi, St. Adalbert’s, St. Luke’s, St. John Kanty and St. Casimir’s.”
Altogether, this angelic ride is 10 miles long. Cycling participants spend between 5 and 10 minutes at each church stop, so that visitors can get a good glimpse of the majestic structures (inside and out). Not only do all of the cyclists act in a very respectful manner while visiting the historic churches, they also adhere to all of the rules of the road.
“Since the ride is at night, riders should have lights on their bikes,” noted Weiksnar. “We will cross some bridges on the route, and the last leg of the trip is 3 miles, so please attend only if you can keep up at about a 10 mph pace. We will have guides leading the ride, but we will not have the capacity to stay with riders who fall behind. Should you get a flat tire or have mechanical problems, you will need to do your own repairs, or call someone to pick you up. The ride will end between 10:30p.m. and 11:00 p.m., so we advise against bringing children. There will be people assigned to watch the bikes while the riders are visiting inside the churches.”
For those who wish to attend Mass before the ride begins, the Holy Thursday liturgy begins at 7:00 p.m. at Ss. Columba-Brigid, and will end at approximately 8:30 p.m. For any questions, e-mail sscolumbabrigid@gmail.com.