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Sunday, October 18, 1998 By Linda Wilson Fuoco
To a congregation that included God's creatures great and small, the clergyman preached about the wolf lying down with the lamb. When he called upon churchgoers to "glorify the Lord," barks and meows accompanied the chorus of human voices singing about "all things bright and beautiful."
In a wonderful display of faith, the pastor and congregation of St. Thomas' Memorial Episcopal Church of Oakmont opened their doors to God's four-footed creations for the feast of St. Francis.
Animal blessings, in honor of the saint who talked to animals, have been going on for a long time. They're usually held in parking lots. At St. Thomas, animals come right into the church.
There were dogs sitting on pews and dogs lying under pews. I counted about 100 dogs and one frog in a portable aquarium. I saw a dozen pet carriers with mewing sounds coming from the mesh windows.
"We've done this for four years and we've never had an accident," said the Rev. Jeffrey D. Murph, rector. I think he was referring to "housebreaking" lapses, which did not happen on Oct. 4, the day I took Mickey to church.
I took our chocolate Labrador retriever to be blessed, though a certain family member suggested an exorcism might be more appropriate. Mickey marched exuberantly down the aisle, thrilled to see so many dogs. We picked a pew near the front and Mickey settled in on the carpeted floor, where he was dismayed to find he could see nothing.
Dragging me to the end of the pew, Mickey stuck his head and shoulders out into the center aisle and wagged his tail vigorously. Leaning down to get a Mickey-eye view, I saw dog faces peering out of about every other pew including a little cavalier King Charles spaniel, another big chocolate Lab, a black-and-white spotted puppy and numerous mixed-breed dogs.
Sprawled regally in the middle of the aisle was a golden retriever, "smiling" in that tongue-lolling way goldens are known for.
This was a real church service with prayers and blessings and hymns, including "All creatures of Our God and King." "The Lesson" was a reading from Genesis. It was one of the nicest church services I've ever attended, for the love in the air was palpable.
I held my breath - oh, me of little faith - as animals and people filed into the aisle. There was no fighting, biting or growling as animals lined up nose-to-tail and walked to the altar. Mickey heeled at my left side, in perhaps his very best public performance. Blessedly he made no noise, joyful or otherwise.
In sad contrast to the pets were several adult dogs and two tiny black puppies, homeless waifs awaiting adoption at the Animal Rescue League. Proceeds from the collection plate went to the shelter.
Murph and Assistant Rector Scott M. Harding blessed each animal with this intonation: "May God so bless this pet of yours, that your love of it may be a constant reminder of God's love for you."
There are people who feel animals have no place in church. A nun broke my heart in second grade, unequivocably stating that animals have no souls and no place in heaven.
But it is animals, not the preaching of stern-faced nuns, that make me believe there is a God. Nothing less than an ingenious Supreme Being could create elephants and mice, snakes and iguanas, zebras and giraffes, and multiple varieties of multihued birds and fishes.
Not content to stop at beasts of burden, God created cats and dogs and the other animals that people keep as pets. And what a loving gift that was!
We all make a great leap of faith when we bring sharp-toothed carnivores into our homes. Many of us assign them to watch over and play with our children. And most of the time it is, dare I say it, a match made in heaven.
I think dogs and other beloved pets do go to heaven. A God kind enough to create animals that love us would be wise enough to know we couldn't be completely happy in heaven without the animals we loved on Earth.
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