October 7, 2009 // Uncategorized

In the spirit of St. Francis …

Todays Catholic

Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration look anew at Franciscan spirituality and focus on the sacredness of creation

By Judy Bradford

SOUTH BEND — About 100 pet owners, and their pets showed up for a special blessing on Sunday, Oct. 4, the day set aside as the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology.
The new event, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, was part of a celebration to look anew at Franciscan spirituality, and focus on the sacredness of creation.
“It also ties in to our mission to the poor because we are to use only what we need in the way of water, food and goods, and not amass things just for the sake of amassing things,” said Sister Agnes Marie, an organizer for the event.

The public animal blessings took place in the parking lot of Marian High School across the street from where the 120 sisters make their home, and also held a retreat on Saturday to study and reflect on the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi.

Franciscan Father Jim Kendziereski, chaplain of Our Lady of Angels Infirmary and Retirement Home on the campus, blessed the animals one by one as they arrived at the high school. “I’m just waiting for a snake to arrive,’’ said Father Kendziereski, a little hesitation in his voice.

Luckily, no one brought a snake but there were lots of dogs, a few cats and one duck. In fun, one of the sisters dressed up as a mouse and she got a blessing too. All the animals behaved, and Father Kendziereski blessed the pet owners as well.

Many of the dogs attending have also been involved in pet therapy programs, which take them into nursing homes and retirement centers to give aging and disabled residents a mental lift.
“We realize that there’s something very special in the creature world that we connect with,” said Sister Agnes Marie Regan, a Sister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. “There is scientific evidence that a person’s blood pressure and stress level go down when petting a dog or cat. You can just see the delight in the person’s face.”

Co-sponsoring the event was the K-9 Crisis Response Team, which brings dogs to serve in disaster settings, such as floods or tornadoes, as a source of comfort to victims, and to aid in communication with victims. The statewide organization has a certification procedure and works with police and other first responders.

But most of the pets and their owners were there to socialize and be blessed. It was the first time for Solow, a 10-year-old Dachshund and his owner, Mary Mac Donald. “Maybe this will help his behavior,’’ she joked.

Barbara Bronson, a member of St. Monica Church in Mishawaka, brought Cookie, her 4-year-old Shih Tzu, after reading about the upcoming event in Today’s Catholic. She showed everyone how the dog “prays” by standing on his hindlegs and putting his forelegs together. “He’s God’s little creature,” said Bronson.

In a mass blessing to all the creatures, great and small, Father Kendziereski prayed that they would always be kept happy and healthy.