From Utah (Just one of many like this today)
West Valley City • It’s not often that you see dogs and other pets attending Sunday services, but once every year members of St. James Episcopal Church are invited to bring their critters to church for a blessing.
“I call this Sunday holy chaos,” said Rev. W. Lee Shaw, the church’s rector. “It’s very popular.”
Thus, as a choir sang a hymn, an occasional bark or whine could be heard. When the service got quiet, there were times the only sounds were those of dogs panting.
Shaw has held the popular ceremony for years, mostly close to Oct. 4, which is the feast day for St. Francis, known for befriending a wolf and for his kindness to all living creatures.
The saint gave up all of his earthly wealth and lived like a hermit until finding a community of poor friars who became the Franciscans, who took a vow of poverty.
Dogs, a cat in a kennel and a teddy bear held by 7-year-old Nick Rice marked the most unusual pets seen at the service Sunday, where the animals were quite well behaved. In case there was an “accident,” the church provided materials to clean it up. Families and neighbors were invited to participate in the service.
More here-
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52668551-78/church-dogs-service-blessed.html.csp
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