Christ Episcopal Church has annual blessing of the animals

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Christ Episcopal Church had a blessing of the animals service on Saturday, Oct. 8. This observed the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals whose feast day is Oct. 4. Pastor Diana Wilcox presided.

There were no exotic animals in church on Saturday only the fabulous as every pet owner would attest. All quadrupeds, the collection of 15 was totally cats and dogs, arranged in a large circle before Wilcox. One woman sat without a critter.

She had a box of ashes and a photograph of Linus, her beloved feline. Wilcox, blessing each animal individually, quietly blessed the box of ashes. Another woman brought her “labradoodle,” Cosmo. He was on chemotherapy but doing well, she said. The pastor knelt and took Cosmo’s white, wooly head in her hands. Gabrielle, a 16-year-old cat was blessed. So too were cats Hunter and Piper; pomeranian Dottie and the “schnoodle” Sadie. Wilcox wore a sash with animals embroidered on it. One image was the depiction of Bogart, her 19 year old, black and white tuxedo cat.

She said the blessing of the animals is one of her favorite church services and a favorite of others, too.

“It is important that we take the time to pause and reflect on our responsibility to care for all of God’s creation, most especially the creatures of this earth,” she said. “We have too often failed in this.”

Wilcox said the service helps people to consider their responsibility toward animals “and to bless our animal companions who bless us each day. Their unconditional love is a wonderful example of the unconditional love God has for all of creation.”

When the service concluded, pets and owners who had attended the service mingled with Wilcox outside before departing, the quadrupeds under the care of St. Francis.