×

Pets get blessed at St. Patrick

YOUNGSTOWN — Shannon Lehn of Austintown said she brought her 3-month old golden retriever, Charlotte, to get blessed Monday night because she’s lost two dogs this year and didn’t want to take any chances with her new rescue puppy.

A member of the Women’s Ancient Order of Hibernias, she also wanted to be at Youngstown St. Patrick Church for the blessing of the church’s new outdoor stations of the cross, which the men’s AOH of Mahoning County helped install.

The pet blessing and the prayers of installation for the stations were done together Monday, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the author of the stations of the cross.

The Rev. Kevin Peters blessed dogs, cats, turtle and even a few rats in the community garden across the street from the church, making sure to stand close to the bees that are kept there, so they would get some of the blessing too.

Peters, who brought his own dog, a hound mix named Elliott, said the pet blessing helps people connect with the created world, especially in a time when technology is so prevalent.

“The connection to the nature around us is important,” Peters said. “Sometimes we’re not just as mindful as we should be.”

For the animal lovers in attendance, the blessing was about getting that extra something to their pets.

Alayceona Thomas, 10, who had her 2-month old kitten in her jacket said she brought Tunncie to be blessed because the kitten had a rough start in life.

Cathy McClain brought red-eared slider turtles Oscar and Oliver — Oscar is a girl — to get blessed “so they can thrive and be healthy,” she said.

The turtles got lots of attention, especially from the children in attendance. “They love the attention, too,” Cathy McClain said.

Linda Long of Austintown, a parishioner at St. Patrick, brought her 13-year-old cat, Big Boy — who, she said, is not as big as he used to be — because he has an autoimmune disease.

“I don’t think it can hurt,” Long said of the blessing.

Big Boy, for his part, seemed to be having an okay time, except when Peters sprinkled holy water into his cat carrier.

The second half of the event involved the prayers of installment and blessing with incense and holy water of the outdoor stations of the cross. The installment was led by Sister Elisa Bonado of the Franciscan Order.

The stations are located throughout the community garden and are printed in English and Spanish, according to Deacon Jess McClain, who kicked off the yearlong effort to put up the locally sourced signs.

“We put them in the community garden because we feel it’s not just a Catholic thing,” Jess McClain said.

He added that with churches often locked, the stations are accessible.

Pets get blessed at St. Patrick

YOUNGSTOWN — Shannon Lehn of Austintown said she brought her 3-month old golden retriever, Charlotte, to get blessed Monday night because she’s lost two dogs this year and didn’t want to take any chances with her new rescue puppy.

A member of the Women’s Ancient Order of Hibernias, she also wanted to be at Youngstown St. Patrick Church for the blessing of the church’s new outdoor stations of the cross, which the men’s AOH of Mahoning County helped install.

The pet blessing and the prayers of installation for the stations were done together Monday, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the author of the stations of the cross.

The Rev. Kevin Peters blessed dogs, cats, turtle and even a few rats in the community garden across the street from the church, making sure to stand close to the bees that are kept there, so they would get some of the blessing too.

Peters, who brought his own dog, a hound mix named Elliott, said the pet blessing helps people connect with the created world, especially in a time when technology is so prevalent.

“The connection to the nature around us is important,” Peters said. “Sometimes we’re not just as mindful as we should be.”

For the animal lovers in attendance, the blessing was about getting that extra something to their pets.

Alayceona Thomas, 10, who had her 2-month old kitten in her jacket said she brought Tunncie to be blessed because the kitten had a rough start in life.

Cathy McClain brought red-eared slider turtles Oscar and Oliver — Oscar is a girl — to get blessed “so they can thrive and be healthy,” she said.

The turtles got lots of attention, especially from the children in attendance. “They love the attention, too,” Cathy McClain said.

Linda Long of Austintown, a parishioner at St. Patrick, brought her 13-year-old cat, Big Boy — who, she said, is not as big as he used to be — because he has an autoimmune disease.

“I don’t think it can hurt,” Long said of the blessing.

Big Boy, for his part, seemed to be having an okay time, except when Peters sprinkled holy water into his cat carrier.

The second half of the event involved the prayers of installment and blessing with incense and holy water of the outdoor stations of the cross. The installment was led by Sister Elisa Bonado of the Franciscan Order.

The stations are located throughout the community garden and are printed in English and Spanish, according to Deacon Jess McClain, who kicked off the yearlong effort to put up the locally sourced signs.

“We put them in the community garden because we feel it’s not just a Catholic thing,” Jess McClain said.

He added that with churches often locked, the stations are accessible.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today