Blessing of Vehicles

by Rev. THEODORE GREGORY

After my wife and I finished our time at St. Tikhon’s in 2016, we were dispatched to Rahway, New Jersey, a small city across the river from Staten Island. I had come to the priesthood late in life, after our four kids were grown, and after I’d worked for years as an architect (a profession I still practice). We’d been assigned to lead Rahway’s Holy Trinity parish, which was planted in 1967. During our early months in Rahway, we were surprised to realize that the parish was barely known in the community, even though it’s located in the heart of the city, only a mile from Main Street. For our first summer, I came up with a way to begin strengthening our relations with the town.

That July, on the day we commemorated the Prophet Elijah, I invited Rahway’s emergency first responders to come for a vehicle blessing. It’s traditional to bless vehicles on this day, in honor of Elijah’s departure from the earth in a fiery chariot. I borrowed the idea from my seminary classmate Father Gabe Bilas, who did it at his parish in Michigan. I saw three advantages: it would be a relaxed way to introduce people to Orthodoxy; it would bring awareness that there is an Orthodox Church in the community; and it would give us a chance to honor the men and women who serve us so diligently.

We held a short prayer service in front of the church, using excerpts from The Book of Needs, then blessed the fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, and parish vehicles. Everyone present was anointed with blessed oil from the Tomb of Christ. We sang “Memory Eternal” for those who lost their lives in our service and “Many Years” to all first responders.

Before we repeated the event in 2018, we began advertising early, printing flyers and delivering them to the respective headquarters and station houses in person. We also posted items on the Facebook sites for the church, police, fire department, and the City of Rahway. The police department’s public relations director, with whom we had developed a relationship, helped us get the word out. I also contacted the mayor’s office and our councilmen.

We ended up drawing eleven emergency vehicles, including the coveted ladder truck—six more than the year before. Two local restaurants donated food for a luncheon afterward. The response at the stations prompted the Police Department to ask if we would move next year’s event to September, so more men and women would be available to participate. For next year’s event I also plan to approach some neighboring communities.

These men and women see the brokenness of humanity daily. They need our prayers, and they welcomed our effort. Reaching out with the love of Christ, offering our prayers, and saying “thank you” was sincerely appreciated. Their gratitude was humbling and the fellowship was priceless.

1. Approach the headquarters of first responders. Explain our Orthodox tradition of blessing vehicles and ask if they would be interested in participating.

2. Plan the event and call back with specifics, e.g. date and time, if a lunch will be provided, and so on.

3. Make a third visit with flyers or a personal invitation. Always put social media to good use to supplement personal contact.

4. Make another call to confirm participation. Making multiple calls is the way to be remembered.

5. Get familiar with where the first responders do business (restaurants, coffee shops, and the like) and contact those establishments for support.

The most important element is persistence. Plant the seed and water it; it takes time for a harvest. We need prayer, perseverance, and patience to run the race to win.

The Reverend Theodore Gregory is an architect and the rector of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Rahway, New Jersey.