By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Fezzik, Sadie, Samantha, Savannah, Gracie and Harry were among the first furry friends to receive blessings at an inaugural pet blessing event in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
With tails wagging, more than a dozen pets and their people gathered for a celebration of the special bond between humans and animals, recognizing the ways their four-legged, feathered and scaled companions enrich their lives.
For Bowling Green’s first pet blessing held at City Park’s Needle Hall, three faith communities — First United Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and the Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation — joined together to host the ecumenical event held on Oct. 4 in recognition of the Feast Day of St. Francis.
The ceremony offered an opportunity to celebrate beloved animal companions, remember pets that have died and reflect on humanity’s responsibility to care for all living creatures.
“St. Francis of Assisi was known for being one of those who believed that everything in creation was connected and that we were each other’s keepers,” said the Rev. Mary Sullivan of Trinity United Methodist. She explained that St. Francis believed people had a responsibility to care for animals, particularly those who share their homes and lives with them.
A blessing for every companion
During the ceremony, participants were invited to bring their animal companions forward, share their names and receive an individual blessing. Cats, dogs, birds, chickens, turtles, fish and other beloved creatures were mentioned in the blessing, though dogs and their owners were the only ones represented during the inaugural event
The service also made space for those grieving the loss of a pet. Owners could light an electric votive candle, display a photograph or write down the name and years of life of an animal they wished to remember.
The moments of remembrance recognized the lasting place pets hold in their families and the love that continues even after they are gone.
Donna and Steve Arnold shared photos of Sophie and Stella, their beloved dogs that have passed, and Scout and Maisey, the newest family furballs.
“They are all an important part of our family,” Donna said. “We love them, and in return they give unconditional love.”
Readings celebrating the beauty of living creatures and the teachings of St. Francis reinforced the ceremony’s central message: Animals are not simply part of our surroundings; they are companions who teach people about affection, loyalty, gratitude and the interconnectedness of life.
“For the blessing of animal companions, we give thanks,” Thomas Edge of the Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalists read from Maureen Killoran’s “Blessed Are All Living Things.”
“For the beautiful ones, those whose fur is silky and whose tails are long, whose feathers are brilliant or whose voices are splendid, we give thanks,” he continued.
He also added blessings for the frantic ones, the obnoxious ones and “those who bark and purr and growl and mew, … squeak or squawk or snarl or hiss” and for “all living things from whom we learn to love.”
Bowling Green Dog Park representatives Raul and Jo Ascunce brought Charles their rescue dog to the event to be blessed; however, Jo was quick to point out they are the blessed ones to have Charles in their lives.
Bringing faith and community together
The idea for the event grew from a desire to create a welcoming, ecumenical celebration that would bring congregations and the wider community together.
Sullivan said an earlier effort at Trinity to organize an animal blessing had not gained traction. She later suggested expanding the idea beyond a single church so that multiple congregations could participate in an event serving the community.
Although the original vision was part of the conversation of the ecumenical BG Ministerial Association that includes all BG Christian fellowship ministers, the three congregations came together to make the first celebration possible.
With no dedicated budget, organizers relied on donated refreshments, volunteer efforts, contributed materials and musicians who provided their time. Each participating church helped supply cookies, while community members and volunteers contributed to the day’s activities, which included a silent auction, pet portraits, refreshments, Celtic music, crafts for kids and pets, and an opportunity to support animals beyond those attending with their families.
For Sullivan, the event demonstrated how a simple idea and a willingness to work together can create something meaningful.
She also saw the gathering as an opportunity for churches to connect with people in an informal, welcoming setting — what she described as a “front porch” approach to community engagement.
The Wood County Humane Society was represented at the gathering, and proceeds from fundraising activities were designated to support its work.
A tradition with a future
Because the inaugural event drew an encouraging response, Sullivan is optimistic that the celebration will become an annual tradition, maybe with the addition of residents who own other types of pets, such as cats, lizards, birds and hamsters.
Mary Dawson, who brought her rescue dog, Gracie, to the event, said she and Gracie had participated in a pet blessing by the Sisters of Lourdes. “There were lots of dogs, but there were other animals there, including a pony,” Dawson said.
This was the six-year-old Leonberger named Fezzik’s third blessing, said his owner, Doug Kratzer. The giant ball of fluff seemed unfazed by the hoopla and only wanted to greet anyone who came up to him. He is the newest “kid” of Kratzer and his wife, Sheila. They’ve always had big dogs, including two Bernese Mountain dogs, a Samoyed and Keeshond.
“Fezzik is definitely one blessed dog, and we are blessed to have him,” Kratzer said.
Sullivan and the other organizers are already discussing plans for next year, pleased with the attendance and the positive feelings the gathering created.
The timing, tied to St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day, offered a natural connection between faith and the care of animals. St. Francis is remembered for his reverence for creation and his recognition of the kinship between people and other living things.
In the end, the celebration was about more than pets. It was about gratitude, compassion and the ways a shared love of animals can bring people together across generations and religious traditions.
“A blessing is a wish of gratitude or happiness toward a person or animal or thing. It is for this purpose we come together today to acknowledge how our lives have been blessed by our animal friends and to express our happiness and gratitude that they make this so,” said Rev. Judy Guion-Utsler of First United Methodist. “The underlying motivation for many of these services is the recognition that we are all a part of an interconnected web of existence.”
