FATIMA, Portugal (AP) — Motorcycle rallies have a reputation for beer drinking, rock ‘n’ roll and perhaps the odd brawl. But at an annual gathering in northern Portugal, the strongest tipple is a sip of communion wine and the music is strictly hymns set to a church organ.

Over the weekend, an estimated 180,000 members of Portugal’s motorcycling community converged on the Fatima shrine for the so-called Blessing of the Helmets. The pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Fatima, now in its 10th year, aims to bestow bikers with a sense of spiritual protection from the Virgin Mary as they ride across Portugal’s open roads.

Leather vests creaked as riders walked around the shrine dedicated to the three shepherd children who saw an apparition of the Holy Virgin. They participated in a talk on road sec

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