All of God’s creatures

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This article was published 15/10/2021 (1689 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As hymns rang out in the hollows of the Church of St. Stephen and St. Bede, the ecclesiastical voices were duetted by the barks and yips of dogs.

The Anglican and Lutheran church marked the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, by inviting members of the congregation to have their pets blessed by Pastor Murray Still.

“We as humans get blessed every Sunday, so why should they not have a special day for them?” said

Bev Jurens, a longtime member of the church.

Jurens brought her dog, Charlie, out for the night. This was the tiny white lamb-like canine’s second time being blessed.

The Church of St. Stephen and St. Bede held the service for four-legged family members once before, pre-pandemic. The inaugural service drew mostly dogs, but one cat, too. This year, however, dogs stole the spotlight, with almost a half dozen pooches waiting amid the pews for their turn to greet the pastor.

Abbey, a tiny 9-year-old sheltie, was accompanied by her owner, Penny Woodfield. The St. James resident and former church organ player sees the blessing as just another way to look after the well-being of her pet.

The evening began with song and scripture honouring creatures and the natural world. The voices of those young and old spoke the words of the Circle of Praise, adapted from Psalm 148, which celebrates all animals, from hamsters to horses. And later, churchgoers spoke lines of praise and apology to the animal kingdom.

“As a First Nations person, I have a heart for the creation and created order and animals and pets and things of that nature,” Still said.

Still addressed the congregation with vigour and animation. A beaded animal skin stole draped over his shoulders, with a turquoise cross adorning the fabric at the nape of his neck.

In light of the recent National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and because of his world view, Still spoke about unity and the connection between Indigenous Peoples and the environment.

“We are all connected to each other. We are one family around the globe: red, white, yellow, and black. All my relations,” he said. “One of the gifts of First Peoples is the stewardship of the land and all that is graced within it, including our animals. Our animals are so precious.”

Kari Hagness brought her four-year-old Havanese-toy poodle mix to the liturgy. Hagness, who volunteers her time at the zoo and is a longtime member of the church, wanted to extend her faith to her beloved pet.

“We love him very, very much,” she said. “I can’t imagine heaven without all of creation — it’s not just humans. All our animals will be there.”

Sander, 12, is a black labradoodle with a snout that’s turning white with age. The canine has been with the Chell family since he was a puppy.

“He’s part of the family, and he’s old. It seemed like the right thing to do. He’s a gift to our family from God, and he’s been a real gift to our son,” Brita Chell said.

Though the pastor left his cat, Molly, at home, this time, he was grateful for the evening’s turnout.

“The church is not the building, it’s the people,” he said.