HAYDENVILLE — The Rev. Richard Bondi walked around the parking lot of the St. Mary of the Assumption Church Sunday afternoon, gently patting more than a dozen dogs and blessing them with holy words. At his side — and attached to a long leash — was his own dog, a golden retriever named Angel.
“Pets always bring out the best in us. Loving them reminds us of how much God loves us. Excuse me,” Bondi said, reaching down to wipe the drool off Angel’s face with his hands.
Bondi is enjoying his first year as the pastor for the Roman Catholic Church located at 173 Main St., Haydenville, part of the Our Lady of the Hills parish. Sunday he held his first “Blessing of the Animals” ceremony there, but he has participated in the event at other locations for many years.
The Blessing of the Animals is an event held in recognition of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals in the Roman Catholic Church. Francis was a Catholic friar who lived during the 12th and 13th centuries. He founded several religious orders, notably the Order of Friars Minor, better known as the Franciscan Order. There are various legends about Francis preaching to birds, and even confronting a wolf that was terrorizing a small medieval town. So, every year in honor of his feast day, Christian churches across the world hold the Blessing of the Animals.
Oct. 4 — a Wednesday this year — is the date of the saint’s feast, but Bondi wanted to hold the blessing ceremony on a sunny weekend afternoon, to encourage people from the surrounding community to come. About 30 people and more than 12 dogs joined him.
“Most of them are members of the parish, but some are not. This is one of the traditions that goes across the Christian faith,” Bondi said, emphasizing that the event is celebrated by both Catholics and Protestants alike.
The blessing ceremony began with a song called “All God’s Creatures Got a Place in the Choir,” sung by the church’s organist, Pat Kapitzky of Florence. Strumming on her guitar, Kapitzky and the crowd howled, mooed and cawed, reverencing their dogs.
“Today was very well attended. It’s not always like this. I have two cats, but cats aren’t always happy to go in the car,” Kapitzky said, explaining why she left her cats at home.
Brian Barry attended the ceremony with his dog, Rosco. Barry has been attending Our Lady of the Hills Parish for years. This time, he was able to bring his dog.
“One of the most important lessons animals teach us is having the joy of the moment and the joy of the day. A lot of us forget those lessons, but they never forget,” Barry said.