St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church celebrated the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, with a blessing of the animals ceremony Saturday morning.
About 15 dogs, cats and stuffed animals, along with their owners, attended the brief, nondenominational ceremony led by the Rev. C. Clyde Elledge.
“Job one, I think, in the church these days is to come together and celebrate the good things in life,” said Elledge. “Animals add a component to our lives that has just been inexplicable. It’s easy to overlook sometimes, but when things are hard, there is the first creature that comes to you to comfort you in the midst of some heartache or some hard times.”
For Alycia Miceli and her cockapoo, Olive, the ceremony was a first.
“I see them every year that they happen around here,” said Miceli. “She (Olive) takes care of me more than I take care of her so I thought this was just something really nice to do.”
Others came to celebrate the joy, companionship and unconditional love their pets bring to their lives.
“I find deep value and importance in coming to church,” said Sophie Emmanuel, who brought Rocky, her 5-month-old Australian bernedoodle. “Rocky is also a big part of my life, and I just love the idea that we get to have our pets blessed, and you know, continue to share that joy.
