In 1960, the Aquilotti Cycling School Society organized the first edition of the Cycle Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Divine Love in Rome. Today, the legacy of this tradition has reached the Asd Pedala Per Un Sorriso handed down by the Rome Refinery Team and its historic cyclist manager Franco Cacci, thanks to the interest of the International Racing Director Agildo Mascitti, today, also President of the Committee Provincial of Rome of the FCI. The event has always enjoyed the aegis of the Lazio Regional Committee of the FCI and also the current administration, led by President Maurizio Brilli, has confirmed its patronage.
The event has always enjoyed the aegis of the Lazio Regional Committee of the FCI and also the current administration, led by President Maurizio Brilli, has confirmed its patronage.
The Cycle Pilgrimage will take place on Sunday 11 December with departure at 9.30 from Viale della Tecnica, near the former Olympic velodrome and will arrive at Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love in via Ardeatina after having traveled about 23km and be passed through the park of the Catacombs of San Callisto guarded by the Salesian priests of San Giovanni Bosco. Upon arrival at the Sanctuary, the cyclists will receive a gift from the Asd Pedala Per Un Sorriso the printout of the prayers that will be recited together before receiving the blessing.
The prayers chosen by the Honorary President of the organizing company, Luca Centomo, are the one written by Saint John Paul II on the occasion of his visit to the Sanctuary in 1979 and the one dedicated to the Madonna del Ghisallo, protector of all cyclists in the world.
The sanctuary of the Madonna del Divino Amore is run by His Eminence Cardinal Enrico Feroci, who greatly appreciated the resumption of the initiative after the two years of detention due to the Covid 19 emergency. His Eminence, on the occasion of the preparatory meeting of the demonstration, underlined the spirituality of the event and invited all cyclists to stop at the Shrine for Holy Mass.
The tragic killing of professional cyclist Davide Rebellin imposed, on the day, a further reflection on the issue of road safety for the most defenseless categories such as cyclists and pedestrians. For this reason, at the end of the blessing, on the initiative of the Asd Pedala Per Un Sorriso, Ciclismo Lazio and Largo Sole Teamshared with the Lazio Regional Committee and the Rome Provincial Committee of the FCI, the cyclists present they will wave, in silence, for a few seconds, the white scarf that they have been invited to wear for the occasion. This “sign” will be repeated, at the same time, in other Italian cities to represent the dissent against the lack of safety on the roads with regard to the weakest users and the request for the establishment, on the second Sunday of December, of the National Day in Remembrance of Road Bicycle Victims.
At the end of the ritual and civic engagement part, the Asd Pedala Per Un Sorriso, thanks to the availability of the premises of the Oratory of the Parish of the Holy Family of Divine Love and the kindness of the parish priest Don Fabio, will wish a Merry Christmas to all present ” toasting” with tea, pandoro and panettone.