Our Lady of the Hogs?

Every second Sunday of July, the Santuario della Beata Vergine della Creta in the town of Castellazzo Bormida in northern Italy celebrates their titular feast. Formally called the feast of Our Lady of Castellazzo or the feast of Our Lady of Grace, it is more popularly known as the feast of Our Lady of the Centaurs – “centaurs” being an Italian nickname for motorcycle riders, both because they somewhat resemble a centaur as they sit astride their rides, and because of their somewhat uncouth reputation. The feast attracts thousands of bikers every year from the foothill regions of Italy, France, and Switzerland, who caravan to the shrine, attend Mass, and receive a blessing for themselves and their machines. Here is one prayer for the occasion:

O Madonna of the Centaurs, you who from this shrine place upon us your benevolent mantle: save us from the dangers of the road at all times and in all places. O Blessed Virgin Mary, help us so that our behavior can be an example to everyone, an example of genuine sportsmanship on the road and an example of working for brotherhood and universal harmony in our lives. Support us in our weakness and let us live as strong witnesses to the Faith so that, reaching you in Paradise, we may enjoy, bless, and love your Son Jesus forever and ever. Amen.

But the best writing on the subject is probably by Pope Pius XII. In the Apostolic Letter proclaiming the Madonna of Castellazzo the patroness of motorcyclists (February 11, 1947), the Pontiff eloquently describes how bikers visit her shrine on her feast day, how they affix her image to their bikes after Mass and the blessing, and how they tear off with a great racket down ancient Roman roads. We suspect that Pius XII (or someone) was having a little fun with the Latin, for instead of using the neo-Latin word for a motorcycle (autobirota), he declares Mary of Castellazzo the “Heavenly Patron, especially for Italy, of coachmen driving two-wheelers powered by fire-inducing liquid” (Patrona Caelestis praecipua pro Italia raedariorum birotas ignifero latice incitas moderantium). That’s “bikers” to you and me. Appended is the complete text in the original Latin.

This year’s feast, the 81st of its kind, took place last Sunday on July 12. Here is a reel of the so-called procession:

And another from the newspaper La Stampa (not embeddable)

https://www.lastampa.it/alessandria/2026/07/12/video/motoraduno_madonnina_centauri_2026_benedizione_castellazzo-15687863/

BEATISSIMA VIRGO MARIA, GRATIARUM MATER, VULGO «MADONNINA DI CASTELLAZZO», IN ALEXANDRINA STATIELLORUM DIOECESI VENERATA, RAEDÀRIORUM BIROTAS IGNIFERO LATICE INCITAS MODERANTIUM PATRONA CAELESTIS PRAECIPUA PRO ITALIA DECLARATUR.

PIUS PP. XII

Ad perpetuam rei memoriam. — Flagrans erga Beatissimam Virginem Mariam, Dei hominumque Matrem, pietas, omnibus christifidelibus constanter impenseque colenda, digna sane est quae, ex ipso Apostolico Nostro munere, in fidelium animis a Nobis excitetur. Quod autem per Venerabilem Fratrem Petrum Iosephum Gagnor, ex Ordine Praedicatorum, Alexandrinum Statiellorum Episcopum, accepimus haud exiguam paterno animo Nostro laetitiam attulit. In oppido enim « Gasmonio », quod nunc « Castellazzo Bormida » vulgo appellatur, ubi natus est Gregorius Grassi, ex Ordine Fratrum Minorum, Orthosiensis in Phoenicia titularis Episcopus, atque in Sinensi dicione pro Christi Fide Martyrii palma decoratus, quem Nosmet ipsi inter Beatos Caelites nuperrime adnumeravimus, celebre exstat Templum, Deo in honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis dicatum. Innumerabiles eo conveniunt devotae plebes, quae Mariam Virginem « a Gratia et a Creta » familiariter prope atque amice raedarii, patrocinium ipsius Virginis Mariae enixe imploraturi. Nec ipsorum pietas decursu temporis imminui videtur, quin etiam, infensissimo bello nuper composito, magis magisque ostenditur. Solent ipsi, die praesertim Gratiarum Matris festo, cum suis autobirotis ante sacram Imaginem sistere, ac dein transgredí, dum Sacerdos aliquis, vel etiam Episcopus, sollemniter benedictionem impertitur ; qua laeto hilarique animo recepta, festinanter abscedunt atque, magno strepitu ac fragore antiquissimis Romanorum vias percurrentes, celerrimi praeterlabuntur. Iterum ac saepius praedicti raedarii, Fidem in Deo ardentem fervidamque pietatem in Mariam Virginem ostendentes, Cuius quoque Effigiem super suis birotis ad faustum omen palam deferunt, a Rectore-Parocho eiusdem Sanctuarii, immo ab Episcopo ipso, petierunt ut Deipara a «Castellazzo Bormida», in Pedemontana regione, praecipua ac primaria raedariorum autobirotas moderantium Patrona Caelestis, pro tota Italia, a Nobis renuntiaretur. Cum autem supra memoratus Alexandrinus Statiellorum Episcopus huiusmodi vota ac preces enixe Nobis rettulerit atque commendaverit, tantam Fidem tantamque pietatem peculiari rependendam praemio censuimus. Propterea, Antistiti eidem perlibenter gratificantes, auditoque Venerabili Fratre Nostro Carolo Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinali Salotti, Praenestino Episcopo atque Sacrae Rituum Congregationis Praefecto, certa scientia ac matura deliberatione Nostris deque Apostolicae Nostrae potestatis plenitudine, praesentium Litterarum tenore, perpetuumque in modum, Beatissimam Virginem Mariam Gratiarum Matrem, vulgo «Madonnina di Castellazzo», in Alexandrina Statiellorum dioecesi, Patronam Caelestem praecipuam pro Italia, raedariorum birotas ignifero latice incitas moderantium, declaramus atque constituimus, cum omnibus et singulis privilegiis liturgicis patronis praecipuis competentibus. Haec edicimus ac statuimus, decernentes has Litteras firmas, validas atque efficaces iugiter exstare ac permanere ; suosque plenos atque integros effectus sortiri et obtinere, illisque ad quos pertinent, seu pertinere poterunt, plenissime suffragari ; sicque rite iudicandum esse ac definiendum ; irritumque ex nunc et inane fieri, si quidquam secus super his, a quovis, auctoritate qualibet, scienter sive ignoranter contigerit attentari. Contrariis non obstantibus quibuslibet.

Datum Romae, apud Sanctum Petrum, sub anulo Piscatoris, die xi mensis Februarii, anno MCMXXXXYII, Pontificatus Nostri octavo. De speciali Sanctissimi mandato

Pro Domino Cardinali a Secretis Status

DOMINICUS SPADA

a Brevibus Apostolicis.