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Every year the county rescue for which I volunteer holds an Animal Fair. It’s a day in May down at the county fairgrounds where one can bring one’s pets on a leash (so mostly dogs, but you do see the rare cat or two) and partake in fun events to raise money for the rescue. There’s a parade, an owner/dog partnered pie-eating contest, demonstrations by the local K9 police force, and more. And there’s one thing that I’d never heard before: the blessing of the pets.
I live in a very Catholic area; it’s the part of Maryland that was settled by the English first, and many of the people coming here to live did so because they were Catholics fleeing England around the time of that country’s Civil War. My dad is a United Methodist pastor so I certainly didn’t grow up ignorant of many Christian traditions, but I’d never before encountered a blessing of the pets.
After doing some research, I found that pet blessings aren’t uncommon. They’re practiced at many Catholic churches around the world, and it’s just something owners have done out of care for their animals. It’s seen as a way of honoring and looking after one’s beloved animal companions.
What I’ve found even more surprising, via a story from the New York Times, is that pet-related ministries are growing in Protestant churches. They’re most common in churches with congregations of several hundred, sometimes called “mega-churches,” that aside from Sunday services tend to do most of their ministry via smaller interest-based groups. Such small groups are actually common in churches of any size, but obviously mega-churches have a greater number of groups.
Either way, the pet ministry movement is spreading across Protestant churches throughout the country. It’s grown so large that the Humane Society even appointed a liaison to religious communities.
But of what do these pet ministries consist? Not blessings of the pets, that’s a more Catholic tradition. Instead, small groups are formed that are based around pets. Some conduct Bible studies focusing on passages related to animals. Others get involved with pet-based stewardship in their communities, holding free or low-cost rabies and other vaccination clinics at the church, running pet food banks, sponsoring events with medical and dental information for pets, and more.
Of course this has led to some movements within the churches trying to find theology related to pets. The tradition of saints is often referenced (even within Protestant churches), given that many are often pictured with animals. The most famous is St. Francis of Assisi, who was said to commune with birds and even a wolf (it’s on his Saint’s Day, October 4, that most churches hold pet blessings).
The more I think about it, the less that it’s a surprise that pet ministries are growing in churches. The concept of stewardship, looking after all members of creation, is very common and growing within many Christian churches. It can easily be applied to animals and the environment as well as other people.
Do you attend a church that has a pet ministry? If so, tell me about it in the comments.
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*(This image by fradaveccs is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
