Pets receive blessing at St. Louis church

ST. LOUIS -- A vulture, along with more traditional pets such as dogs and cats, attended a service at a downtown St. Louis church that blesses animals as part of an annual tradition.

On Sunday, churchgoers and their pets listened to a sermon at the Christ Church Cathedral about the life of St. Francis of Assisi, a 12th-century friar whom many Christian churches pay tribute to each October. He's known for renouncing his wealth and for his special relationship with animals and the environment.

"It's one of my favorite evenings of the year because it's pure joy," said the Rev. Michael Kinman, dean of Christ Church Cathedral. Pets "teach us how to love," he said.

After the sermon, pet owners lined up in a church aisle and brought their animals to receive blessings and red bandannas.

Lawyer Bruce Hopson and technology executive Jim Goodwin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch they brought their 6-year-old dog Ava for a blessing. Religion is important in their family, which Ava is a part of, they said.

Jean Caton's two 8-year-old cats, Pansy Amber and Lily Freckles, snuggled in a pet stroller. They "are a blessing to me," she said. "People who love pets are a special kind of people."

Adele Moore, founder of TreeHouse Wildlife Center, brought Einstein, a vulture with a bright pink nose and a white beak. Her not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation of wildlife, received donations that were collected at the service. Contributions also went to animal rescue organizations Animal House and Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

Moore said the blessing of the animals was just a simple "acknowledgment of God's creatures."

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com