St. Francis no doubt would have appreciated the added voices on Sunday’s hymns at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown. A veritable menagerie attended the 9 a.m. family service for the annual blessing of the animals in honor of the saint, and a few of the attending dogs howled along with the organ during one of the hymns and barked occasional commentary during the service.
Dogs, cats and birds arrived on leashes and in cages — and in a few instances via photograph or as images on electronic media — with their owners and advanced up the aisle after the morning’s Gospel reading to receive a blessing from Rector Janet Broderick. Some children also brought beloved stuffed animals to be blessed.
St. Francis often is associated with nature and particularly animals, with one famous story having him preaching to the birds. Another story, related by Broderick, tells of how the saint brokered peace between a wolf and some villagers.
Besides demonstrating their care for animals, the church school children practiced stewardship of the earth two weeks earlier by planting the Children’s Garden at St. Peter’s. They planted flowers, both annuals and perennials, as well as herbs, bulbs and vegetables.
On Sunday, weather permitting, the fourth- through sixth-graders will demonstrate their care for other people with a service project raising funds for Morristown’s needy. Watch for their tables in front of the church and of C’est Cheese, where they will be selling canned food and warm, winter hats.
