Quindecim

Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: News

Media Credit: Rachel Mirsky Students, faculty, and staff gather at the Chapel with their pets.

On October 4, Chaplain Kelly Denton-Borhaug held the fourth annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis.

Amidst tangled leashes and doggie treats, Denton-Borhaug and the owners of nine dogs celebrated all animals.

The outdoor ceremony began with a prayer after the dogs were silenced with a reminder that it was a day for peace. Then everyone read a short quote about animals and how they relate to humans and their affection for us. Denton-Borhaug went around to all the dogs, blessed them, and wished them good health.

This year was a smaller turnout than last year, when about fifteen animals, including some cats, came to be blessed. In years past, there have been guinea pigs and birds as well.

Usually, the ceremony is held inside the Chapel, with all the animals gathering around the alter at the end for treats.

One really has to wonder if this makes any difference to the animals; do they even notice that they are being blessed? According to dance professor Chrystelle Bond, the owner of Jean Andre, a miniature black poodle, there is a noticeable difference in the behavior of the animals.

"They get quiet when they're blessed; they know," she said. After the blessing, of course, they immediately return to normal.

However, the service was more than just a blessing for the pets that came to the Chapel; it was for peace and animal rights, and to bring attention to the need for wildlife preservation.

Denton-Borhaug said the focus of the blessing is "the larger concerns of the animal world, like extinction." She added, "We have a small but lively community of animal lovers here at Goucher."

This service is not unique to Goucher alone. Several churches of all denominations, including Catholic, Lutheran, and Methodist, in the Baltimore area celebrated the feast in this way on October 3.

The ceremony is a regular part of Christian liturgy on the Feast of St. Francis. St Francis preached to the animals, telling them that they should praise their creator for giving them what they need to survive in the world.

It all started when Francis saw a group of birds sitting in a tree. He walked up to them with the urge to preach to them. They sat still, letting him pass among them. He preached to them and they listened, stretching their necks. From that day on, Francis preached to all animals, and thus, on his feast day, all animals are celebrated.

The Goucher celebration ended with doggie treats all around. Toby, a black lab, could not eat any because he was on a wheat-free diet for his health. He didn't seem to mind.

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