Paws in the Pews Blessing of the Animals
Approximately 25 dogs of every breed, all well-behaved and happy to meet new friends, joined one brave cat at St. Michael’s Pet Blessing & Celebration on July 20th. The event was a wonderful, deeply spiritual event enjoyed by all the human and animal attendees. The informal service of prayers and thanksgiving was held inside the sanctuary, followed by a procession to the Memorial Garden where each animal was exalted, blessed and treated.
The Blessing was quite popular, drawing pet-lovers from Southbury and Oxford, as well as locally. Since several calls were received from folks who were unable to attend, Jenni agreed to reprise the Celebration on October 4th, the Feast Day of St. Francis.
Diane Damerau provided organ music and St. Michael’s younger members, Nick, Lexy & Sam Cheek, pass-served dog (and cat) treats and made sure all animals were petted.
A special benediction was invoked for pets who have passed away, and snacks for both humans and pets were served in the church’s Memorial Garden, where the pets mingled and made new friends.
Below are some of the fun pictures from the day. But first, here is the Liturgy bulletin from the service.
