Blessed Be The Beasts

On Sunday Oct. 5, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church of Clarksboro held its first annual “Blessing of the Animals”. The event was held inside the church and performed by the Rev. Dr. Daniel C. Gunn, Interim Rector. The church was filled with happy families and their furry friends. As the choir began the opening hymn, “All Creatures of our God and King”, both attendees, dogs and cats contributed to this great opening.  Some barked, some howled, some wandering around, and all enjoyed participating in the singing. The ceremony lasted approximately 20 minutes, with each pet getting a personal blessing from Father Gunn.  Each pet received a St. Francis medal for their collar with a pet prayer card. For those whose furry friends were too sick or had passed brought pictures to be blessed. A fun reception was held in the Church Hall with treats and water for our furry friends and ice cream, cake, candy and coffee for the owners. “It was an entertaining “Comedic Chaos” at its best”, said Father Gunn.