St. Matthew’s hosted over 50 people and a menagerie of 29 dogs, 5 cats, 1 lizard, 1 python snake, several stuffies, and photos of pets who could not attend in-“person”. The undercroft courtyard provided plenty of green space and safe space for such a wild group.
Father Tim, in his specially-designed stole, personally and divinely prayed over the individual animals. The non-human guests of honor were served treats which were meticulously prepared with love, and even the snake and lizard had a few veggies, also prepared with the utmost care. Humans from church and humans from the community chatted and laughed at the animal antics, all under the watchful eye of St. Francis, our patron saint of animals.
With blessings, love, and treats all around, the St. Matthew’s Blessing of the Animals was an event that reminded us of the quirky and wonderful creatures we share our lives with.
