Rusty, St. Francis Day blessing, and Catholic fun
The words "fun" and "Catholic" don't seem like they go together, but sometimes they do. Like on St. Francis Day! St. Francis is known for the way he cared for animals, and at many parishes, St. Francis Day means the Blessing of the Animals. Often, priests will greet animals and their companions at the church door, or in a parking lot. But at my church, the pastor lets all the animals into the church. Bless him, and the church cleaning crew. It's all kinds of adorable. Dozens of dogs, cats, even rabbits. I'm told one year, a woman took a duck inside the church. All the animals process down the center aisle for a blessing, as if they were receiving Communion. Then, led by a statue of St. Francis, the people and the animals march around the block. It's perfectly warm and charming, and I'm always amazed at how well the animals behave.
Rusty loved the idea of a church turned into a dog park. He really likes climbing on benches, stoops, and so on, so climbing up on pews was Heavenly for him. A few more pictures of the event below. Good Sunday reading (especially if your football team isn't good).
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