On a bright weekend morning in the courtyard outside of Corpus Christi Parish in Portsmouth, pets were under foot.
“It's like you got everything here,” said Shane Buzzell, his 160 lb. Great Dane, named Louis, at his side. “It's like Noah's ark.”
The animals weren’t in pairs, though. They were with their people, gathering to receive a blessing from the parish’s leader, Pastor Gary Belliveau. It's an annual event at some Catholic churches, with deep spiritual roots.
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“Traditionally the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, many people just on the surface go, ‘Oh, that's the saint with animals.’ Uh, no, there's more to it than that,” Belliveau explained. Francis's teachings in the 13th century weren’t mainstream, often forcing him to meet with his followers outside of the city, at the edge of the woods, said Belliveau. That in part would help Francis become synonymous with animals, and eventually, Catholic churches began offering blessings that coincide with his annual feast day, Oct. 4.
“It isn't just giving thanks for the animals, it's for all the wonders of creation,” said Belliveau, who decided to leave his own dog inside, so that she wouldn’t be territorial about the parish’s garden, which teemed with potential rivals.
Among barks and yelps, the pastor led a group of about 25 people through a brief prayer. It read, in part, “May your blessing come upon the pets gathered here and upon the homes that receive them.”
Dogs and cats then lined up for an individual blessing, including a splash of holy water.
“I'll take all the blessings we can get,” said Alisa Bailey, who brought along Kaiya, a well-behaved rescue mutt with a white bow on her collar. “Play times and anytime she can get together with dogs, and especially with a blessing, that's a win win.”
Nicole Perimon brought along Pepper, a West Highland White Terrier. “I always say I'm only religious when it comes to, like, my dog and my husband and flying on airplanes,” she joked.
Even if her faith isn’t as strong as it could be, Perimon said having Pepper receive a blessing was important to her: it was a reflection of how much she cares about her pup, and how having a higher power look over her family could only bring good things.
And would the blessing get Pepper to behave a bit better?
“Your mouth to God's ears,” she said.
