This Sunday, seek blessings for your pet
special religious service at St Ignatius Church will mark birthday of Saint Francis D'Assisi
On Sunday morning, St Ignatius Church at Jacob Circle will hold a special prayer service for pets, where people can bring their animals to be blessed.
The special religious service marks the birthday of St Francis D'Assisi, the patron saint of environment, who was also an animal lover. The feast celebrating the saint's birthday is on October 4, but St Ignatius Church has planned to hold the prayers two days earlier on a weekend.
The service, that will start at 10.15am, will include a prayer for the animals and blessings.
The ceremony is common in Western churches and a few churches in Goa too have it, but in Mumbai, St Ignatius Church is the only one to hold a special service for pets.
Father Joseph D'Souza, parish priest of the church started the practice of an annual mass for animals and birds 12 years ago when he was the parish priest of Our Lady of Dolours Church in Sonapur, Marine Lines. "The prayers are for all animals, asking god, the creator of the universe to protect his creatures who are man's faithful friends," said D'Souza, who has a Pomeranian-Spitz named Wolfie with a congenital heart condition.
At last year's ceremony, pet owners, including Hindus and Parsis, brought 23 animals, including a fish, to be blessed.
"As people spend more time with gadgets, they will be left with no time for their pets. Keeping a dog or a cat as a pet could go out of fashion. This is one day to show our love and appreciation for our pets," added D'Souza.
special religious service at St Ignatius Church will mark birthday of Saint Francis D'Assisi
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| Father Joseph D'Souza with his Pomeranian-Spitz, Wolfie, who has a congenital heart condition |
On Sunday morning, St Ignatius Church at Jacob Circle will hold a special prayer service for pets, where people can bring their animals to be blessed.
The special religious service marks the birthday of St Francis D'Assisi, the patron saint of environment, who was also an animal lover. The feast celebrating the saint's birthday is on October 4, but St Ignatius Church has planned to hold the prayers two days earlier on a weekend.
The service, that will start at 10.15am, will include a prayer for the animals and blessings.
The ceremony is common in Western churches and a few churches in Goa too have it, but in Mumbai, St Ignatius Church is the only one to hold a special service for pets.
Father Joseph D'Souza, parish priest of the church started the practice of an annual mass for animals and birds 12 years ago when he was the parish priest of Our Lady of Dolours Church in Sonapur, Marine Lines. "The prayers are for all animals, asking god, the creator of the universe to protect his creatures who are man's faithful friends," said D'Souza, who has a Pomeranian-Spitz named Wolfie with a congenital heart condition.
At last year's ceremony, pet owners, including Hindus and Parsis, brought 23 animals, including a fish, to be blessed.
"As people spend more time with gadgets, they will be left with no time for their pets. Keeping a dog or a cat as a pet could go out of fashion. This is one day to show our love and appreciation for our pets," added D'Souza.
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