Whatever next?
This has just been posted through my letterbox. I’m not religious, despite having been brought up to be, but if I was think I’d find this bizarre.
Apologies if you don’t but I’d be interested to hear other opinions.
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Hi @Smiley. We actually have these pet blessings every year at quite a lot of the churches and cathedrals here in Oz. I know it sounds weird but I saw one once and it was a pretty special sight 
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I’ve seen similar ‘events’ in Belgium and France, they are usually on a specific date of the year.
Last year in the Dordogne, they had a day on which all the horses were blessed.
And in Bordeaux, we came across a mass for blessing the first bottle of a specific wine. Now, there’s a religion I can get behind 
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I’ve never been to one, but have seen signs for them when road tripping in the U.S. — saw them in rural, agricultural areas.
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It sounds great! I know someone who owned a donkey that had taken part in both Nativity and Palm Sunday services for (apologies…) donkey’s years, until he sadly passed away aged 33. He’d played such a big part in peoples’ lives that there was a collection, memorial service, and a tree planted in memory of him.
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They are quite common in the UK.
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I went to one in Mexico (as an observer). I enjoyed seeing the pets get their blessings!
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And pretty common in the US as well.
Often on St Francis of Assisi day -
Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures.
You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air, and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters.
We ask you to bless this pet.
By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan.
May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.
Not unlike blessing the fishing fleet at the start of the fishing season, right? Pretty common in south Louisiana.
https://bayoucatholic.org/news/our-history-history-and-meaning-of-the-blessing-of-the-fleet
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I’m in Canada and never heard of such a thing! I find it a bit odd as well but I’ve done sits where homeowners have had shrines, etc. for their pets who have passed away. I can see how some people would be interested in this.
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Our local Anglican church does this once a year.
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I’m a bit disappointed that we’ll be away on a housesit, it might have been fun to go!
We did once attend a church service at a different local church that had birds of prey being flown inside the church, followed by an opportunity to meet the birds and see them fly in the nearest park.
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Let us prey!
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East coast Canada… not sure how common it is overall here but I’d certainly heard of them. Last year the local Anglican church hosted one, and I’ve just seen a poster for a repeat this year. I went; it was cute. They held it in the parking lot; there were mostly dogs, a couple of cats, a goat, and a pigeon breeder released a couple of his birds. I think a couple of kids had plushies too. The pastor went around and heard a little story about each and said a prayer for each one. They played this cute song which was the first time I’d heard it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CelyF2QEDg
I think this tradition has been around for a long time. Pets are family – I think it’s a lovely idea.
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A few years ago I led a pet service and someone brought in his Eagle Owl 
It turned out that he runs a rescue centre for raptors, and chose the most impressive of his feathered family to bring.
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Apparently the medieval nuns of Romsey Abbey were criticised for being distracted by their birds (hawks, perhaps?). That was nothing compared with the Abbess’s monkey!
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We are doing a sitnear Romsey next month!
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That’s lovely
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Great - it’s a lovely place, it even has a cat cafe 
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Might have to check out the cat cafe - without the dogs!
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