Pet Tales: A weekend to bless the beasts
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This is the weekend when many churches open their doors -- or at least their parking lots and gardens -- to all creatures, great and small. Animals are blessed on or near the Oct. 4 feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Catholics' patron saint of animals, birds and ecology.
Pet blessings in honor of St. Francis have migrated into many Protestant churches, and nonreligious organizations have worked the saint into campaigns to save animals.
Our cocker spaniel was blessed last year at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon, and I think it did him a lot of good. Pablo, 5, has been healthy, happy, loyal and loving in the past 12 months, and I'm willing to give at least partial credit to St. Francis and the blessing bestowed by the Rev. Lou Hays, rector of St. Paul's.
Pets filled all the pews at St. Paul's last year. I counted more than 50 dogs, a few cats in carriers and a guinea pig named George. It was the first time St. Paul's had moved its annual animal blessing out of the garden and into the church. There was no barking, biting, hissing or fighting and no "potty accidents." Pets were remarkably well behaved as their people led them up the aisle to the front of the church, where each animal was individually blessed. It was one of the most touching church services I've ever attended.
This Sunday, the blessing is once again in the church, 1066 Washington Road, at the 8:45 a.m. "family friendly" service. Then everyone will go outside for "treats for all species" in St. Margaret's Garden.
Participants are encouraged to bring nonperishable food for pets and people. Those donations will be included in St. Paul's monthly collection to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry food pantry or to the Animal Friends shelter as part of a Girl Scout Silver Project. People who don't want to worship with pets are invited to an outdoor pet blessing following St. Paul's noon service.
Animals also will be blessed in Shadyside from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, and donations will be collected for the Animal Rescue League shelter. Pets will be individually blessed in a tent outside the Journeys of Life bookstore, 810 Bellefonte St. The bookstore and Heal From Pet Loss are sponsoring the event. Karen Lizinger, a licensed professional counselor, will be selling and signing her CD, which teaches people how to cope with the death of a pet.
First Published October 2, 2010 12:00 am
