Pets welcomed for St. Mary’s blessing: Annual tradition for cherished animal friends

The doors of St. Mary’s Church were open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8 for a steady stream of two- and four-legged visitors to file quietly into the pews and await the annual Blessing of the Pets. 

Accompanied by his own furry friend, Teddy, Father Charles McCarron rang the church bell to signal the beginning of the ceremony. He welcomed in a few more groups who were waiting outside because, he said, “They can’t believe we’re actually letting animals into the church.” 

Throughout the ceremony, there was barely a squeal or a whimper as animal companions, large and small, sat peaceably with the families who’d brought them. From the little dachsund, Dorothy, who’d been rescued from a hurricane in Texas, to sturdy Meko the black lab, calm and quiet reigned while the congregation sang “All Creatures Great and Small” and Father McCarron led them through a liturgy of prayers. 

It must be reported that Teddy did find it necessary to assert his territorial dominance over a very large rival in the back of the church, but once that was established, he returned serenely to Father McCarron’s side at the altar.

In a handout listing the prayers and hymns, the pastor explains why the animals are only allowed in the church on this special occasion once a year: “It’s because bringing animals into church is crazy,” it reads. “Chaos lurks just beneath the surface. We all wonder, will the dogs chase the cats, the cats chase the hamsters, and the birds and spiders scatter. There’s no way to know what the proportion of growling to wagging, and hissing to purring, will be. Human nature being what it is, that’s true every Sunday.” 

Father McCarron placed the blessing ceremony in the context of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, who is globally recognized by several religions as not only a friend to animals, but the patron saint of the environment and peace, and guardian of the poor and oppressed.

He recalled that he had been involved in commemorations of the 800th anniversary of Francis’ birth, the most unusual of which was the depiction of Francis as a superhero — and he held up a copy of the Marvel comic book to prove it.

Following the prayers and hymns, each pet was brought to the front of the church to receive an individual blessing, after which treats for humans and animal friends were served in the adjacent hall. While the animals explored the sights and scents of each other, their families shared stories of how they’d found their pets. 

The majority of owners said they had acquired their dogs as rescues, with more than one saying they’d describe the situation in reverse — adopting the dog was a blessing that had changed their lives. Father McCarron said Teddy had major health issues, including diabetes and Cushing’s disease, and his previous family could no longer afford his medications.

There were two cats blessed in addition to 22 dogs, as well as blessings given for three pets who had recently passed away. There were no exotic animals, although Father McCarron recalled one year a chicken was brought for the blessing. “I was afraid it was a snake,” he said, “because it was brought to the altar in what looked like a snake-charmer’s basket.”

Father McCarron had more stories to share, from times he had helped administer the blessing of the pets at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan, which is renowned for attracting an assortment of creatures that are truly great and small.

“My family is from Scotland, and as a young man I was playing the bagpipes in my kilt at the blessing,” he recalled. “Among the animals was a baby elephant that was so curious about me in my kilt that he backed me up into a wall and someone had to come to my rescue.”  

That scary moment was long ago and far away, and now Father McCarron was being summoned outside. Ruby, a 10-month-old white English lab, was too frightened to come into the church. Her owners, Jasmine and Frank Frasco, calmed her as the priest gently touched her head and offered the blessing from St. Francis for one more of these creatures who, as one of the prayers says, “curl themselves around our hearts.”