Pet Blessing Bonanza
Percy , Ferris Mueller, Allie and Charlie, just four of the pets who came to St John’s to be blessed
St John’s celebrated the animals that bring joy into our lives, with the blessing of pets outside the church on Sunday 5th. The occasion also marked the feast day – on October 4th - of St Francis of Assisi, who has become a symbol of our concern for wildlife.
Those who attended this year included the star of the show, Ferris Mueller, a mule who lives at the October Dream Animal Sanctuary in Voluntown, and Percy, East Lyme and Waterford Police’s comfort dog.
Izzy, Allie, Ferris Mueller, Piper and Bronson were blessed with holy water and a prayer – not everyone was sure about the holy water.
Ferris Mueller was taken in by the October Dream Animal Sanctuary two days before his trip to St John’s. His former owner found she could no longer provide the care she felt he needed. Stubborn though he might well be, Ferris was a big hit.
(Top and left) Ferris Mueller making friends. (Right) Amy Gannon-Carson and Bill Carson, who began rescuing animals in 2019, showing their most recent arrival to Christie Hayes.
October Dream became an official 501c3 charity in 2023 at Haven Hill Farm in Voluntown, and its residents now include steers, goats, pigs, chickens, horses, a cow, and now, a mule. Amy practises equine therapy for children using what she says is the special empathy shown by horses towards humans, and the couple hope to turn the sanctuary into a center for wider animal-assisted therapy.
Percy, with his handler Allison Ryan, lost no time in getting down to work.
Percy, the official comfort dog for East Lyme and Waterford Police, is another provider of therapy. He came to St John’s with his handler Allison Ryan, Assistant Animal Control Officer for the two towns. Percy, a three-year-old Beagle mix, and Allison work together to provide calming support to people in distress, in schools or hospitals or elsewhere in the community.
Mother Jackie said that animals had a special quality that resonated with the emotions of people around them.
“Our animals are more than just fellow creatures in the world,” she said. “They give us companionship, loyalty and love on our journeys through life. More than that, they bring out the best in us.”
Loved animals: Bronson, Cannoli, Percy and Milo, Piper, and Lily
Pet Blessing Sunday coincides with the season of “Creationtide” that runs through September and ends with St Francis’ feast day. St Francis himself is understood to have blessed – and preached to – animals over 800 years ago, and early Christians are reputed to have sought blessing for the animals they relied on for their livelihood.
Pet blessings became widespread in several churches, including the Episcopal Church, towards the end of the last century, a reflection of the profound role played in our lives by animals.
Zeus, the Weimaraner with Laura-Jean; Sunny, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever with Holly;
Maggie, the St Bernard-Great Dane with Ed; and Mr Gus, an animal of many varieties, with his owner Mother Jackie.
Brendan, a Kerry Blue Terrier with Mary-Anne; Brendan belongs to Fr Mark O’Donnell, Pastor of St Joseph Church and St Mary, Star of the Sea in New London, and was at St John’s for his annual Episcopal blessing.
Mother Jackie blessed each animal in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and gave thanks to God for the love animals give so generously, and the love they instil in us.
Some pets seemed to be aware that this was a special, personal moment.
Others, like Bitsy (a six-month-old Cane Corso with her owner Amanda Zawacki) couldn’t help being overcome by the magnitude of the occasion.
