Anyone who owns a beloved pet is truly blessed.
So why not return the favor?
Rector Margie Fagan blessed cats, dogs and even a bee during a Blessing of the Animals ceremony on the grounds of St Mark’s Anglican Church, in Kensington.
Several cats and dogs were blessed at a special ceremony, The Blessing of the Animals, in Kensington on Sunday, Oct 1. Even a bee.
“This is the first one and hopefully it will grow,” said the rector of the Parish of New London, Margie Fagan, who presided over the ceremony at the grounds of St Mark’s Anglican Church.
“The bee was the most exotic. I wasn’t expecting that,” she said with a smile. “I figured cats and dogs and maybe a rabbit.”
The bee had been captured in the church, which had been experiencing an infestation recently. After the ceremony it was released into the wild, as were all the other bees removed from the church.
Animal themed prayers and songs preceded the blessing.
Margie Fagan, rector of the Parish of New London, blesses a parishioner’s cat.
“This a part of our initiative to get engaged with on a different level with the community. Everybody has pets these days and they’re just like children to us,” said parishioner Kim Gallant, one of the organizers.
During the ceremony adhesive cards were handed out to participants. They were to be attached to doors so that firefighters would know how many pets were in the home if animal rescues were necessary.
That way the odds of beloved pets being left behind to perish in a fire could be greatly reduced.