Dromedary, owl, giant snake, dogs, cats and even a small caiman… Hundreds of animals were blessed on Sunday at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York by the city’s bishop to commemorate Saint Francis of Assisi , who was a great friend of animals.
It took three people to carry a yellow python into the cathedral. But regardless of the size or species, each in turn, the animals present on Sunday to celebrate the life of Francis of Assisi, saint of the Catholic Church, were all blessed. The service was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of New York, Andrew Dietsche.
Jon Shweky, Jewish, and Christine Cookman, Catholic, brought their black Labrador, who is to become a guide dog for the blind in November. His owners hope that the blessing will bring him “good health and good luck,” Christine Cookman told AFP, stressing that it is “amazing to be involved in a church that recognizes the souls of animals.”
1,500 people and their animals
The ceremony organized on October 1 had not taken place since 2018 due to a fire in 2019 and then the Covid-19 pandemic. Kirstin Portecella, 62, and her mother Dagmar, came with their little dog “Sadie”, saying they were happy to have been able to go to church with her on the only day of the year when the animals are there accepted. An “unconditional love” binds them, she justifies.
The neo-Gothic cathedral, which can accommodate around 1,500 people, was almost full on Sunday. For $15, the teachers were able to attend Bishop Dietsche’s two-hour service as well as the blessing of their companion. A majority of dogs were candidates for blessing, generally calm despite some barking. On the other hand, many became agitated when a camel, which lives on a state farm, burst in.
A camel, a python but…
The white camelid, like the large yellow python carried on the shoulders by two people and supported by a third, was not, however, the only surprising animal of the day. Andrew Dietsche notably brought a small caiman, also blessed. Also passing by were an owl, a dwarf pony and even an ostrich, each led into the church by white-robed volunteers, while the other animals waited their turn outside.
The ceremony also included a performance by the cathedral choir and a ballet by Afro-descendants.