Your correspondent was at the Blessing of the Animals at Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights yesterday. This ceremony was in honor of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. This year there were no ornamental hens laying eggs on the chancel steps, or escaped tarantulas. Many live creatures were blessed, along with many stuffed animals children brought. Some, who for whatever reason thought their pets couldn’t stand being taken to church, brought cellphone videos, which also received blessings.
There were dogs, of course.
This dog’s name is Pepper.
This adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is Wellington.
Here’s Welly getting his blessing from The Rev. Stephen Muncie, Rector of Grace Church.
Were there cats? Of course there were cats, not all looking happy about the proceedings.
There was a fish named Rainbow…
…and a gecko whose name I didn’t get (possibly on contract to GEICO?).
Then there was Henry the pigeon; found, of course, on Henry Street.
