Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Howls, barks, meows accent St. Francis animal blessing

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Thursday, October 5, 2000

Howls, barks, meows accent St. Francis animal blessing
Residents bring pets to be blessed in preparation for feast day of Catholic saint
By Sara Lee Fernandez
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

The Rev. Bob Dunn sprinkles holy water on Rodney and Sonya Buckwalter's dogs, Riely the border collie and Ryan the West Highland white terrier, at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church on Wednesday.

Ranec Cardiel couldn't help but raise his voice, albeit off-key, amid the hallelujahs during a service at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church.
   Two other members of the congregation ignored the singing, raising a racket and lunging at one another.
   But such beastly behavior is expected at an animal blessing.
   But the singing of Ranec, a 10-year-old terrier mix, and the other howls, barks and meows that punctuated the blessing in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, were music to the Rev. Bob Dunn.
   "They are singing praises to the Lord," Dunn said as the crowd of about 40 people laughed.
   "I would ask our pets to bow their heads . . . Now I'll sprinkle your pets and make them howl."
   Dating back centuries, the observance anticipates the feast day of St. Francis. Francis of Assisi, Italy, who was the founder of the Franciscan religious order of the Roman Catholic Church.
   He was declared a saint in 1228 and was also well known for his love and respect of all creatures.
   "He saw Christ in all things," Dunn said. "Even in creatures some would consider not so important."
   Chema, an 18-year-old parrot, had impeccable manners during the service in the parking lot of the church, but couldn't help throwing a few wolf-whistles at the ladies afterward.
   Dunn traveled around the group blessing a 10-year-old dog named Rusty, a 110-pound Rottweiler named Beauty, and a host of other dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs of every color, hair length and size.
   "You got it; do you feel better now?" Ric Kelley asked his 12-year-old seal-point Siamese cat Missy as Dunn blessed her.
   She meowed back, but didn't seem all that happy about being in a pet carrier.
   Kelley said he brought Missy for a blessing for several reasons.
   "Because of my faith, her faith. She's Catholic, too; she's a part of the family," he said.
   Kelley said that he and his wife don't have children and as far as they are concerned, Missy, and their cat Topper, who died a few years ago, are their children.
   Even the animals that don't have the blessing of a family will receive one from the church when Dunn goes to the Gulf Coast Humane Society, 3118 Cabaniss Road, at 11 a.m. Saturday.
   Residents can bring their pets, too, as long as the pets have a leash or are in a carrier.


Staff writer Sara Lee Fernandez can be reached at 886-3767 or by e-mail at , fernandezs@caller.com

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