Blessing of the Animals Service held at St. Mark's

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(Photos submitted)

  This year’s October 4 celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint for animals and ecology, took place on a Sunday so the Blessing of the Animals Service at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Kimberling City took place during the normal church service and included communion for the humans and a special blessing for the pets.

    Tails were wagging and love was in the air as our community members honored this long-held tradition and brought their beloved fur babies to be blessed. In this service we give thanks for our animal companions and the joy they bring us. We thank them for their unconditional love and forgiveness, which teaches us about God. We thank them for being our confidant, our stress-releaser and for the benefits they are to our health and to our spirit. We ask God to make us better caretakers of all animals; to be more careful of their food supplies and their environment so they can thrive, not disappear.

    We had special music by St. Mark’s organist, and Branson entertainer, Darrell Croy, and some of the dogs even “sang” the hymns along with their humans. Miss Holly, fur baby to the Straw family, wore a new pink dress with ruffles at the bottom and a bow with rhinestones in the center to celebrate her ninth year attending this special celebration.         

    St. Mark’s Priest, Anne Cheffey, said that the Blessing of the Animal Service every year is a birthday gift she gives to herself. We fur baby parents appreciate the time she gives on her special day to help us show our pets how much we love them.

    Until next year, remember: Those who teach us the most about humanity aren’t always human.