Pets Welcome For Annual Animal Blessings At Severna Park Churches

Scaled, feathered and furry animals will be celebrated at Severna Park church animal blessing services this October.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church and St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal Church are holding blessing events. All three are open to the public, and people of all faiths are encouraged to attend.

“Yes, it’s a church thing, but it’s also a community thing,” said Kathryn Kissam, Woods Church Noah’s Ark Ministry co-chairperson.

The first Christian animal blessings were done in the 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, who preached to a flock of birds that stayed to listen to him instead of flying off.

Modern animal blessings are usually held sometime in the beginning of October around St. Francis’ feast day, October 4. The practice has spread outside the Catholic faith to many Protestant branches.

Outside Christianity, houses of worship — including some Jewish synagogues and Buddhist centers — host their own annual animal blessings unconnected to St. Francis.

St. John will hold its blessing on October 1 at 2:00pm in the church’s St. Francis Prayer Garden.

The prayer that St. John uses is from the Catholic Church’s Book of Blessings that has prayers and rituals to bless people, objects and occasions. These prayers have been formulated and used over the centuries.

As is the case in many Catholic prayers, St. John utilizes holy water for its animal blessings, an outward sign of the blessings being asked of God to pour out.

To the Rev. Erik Arnold at St. John, these yearly blessings serve as a reminder to attendees of the extent of God’s love.

“The lord is interested in the whole of our life,” Arnold said. “Nothing’s off limits.”

The Woods Church Noah’s Ark Ministry has been holding animal blessings since 2010. Woods Church leadership created the ministry as a distinct entity within the church after noticing that a significant number of prayer requests were for people’s pets. The blessings and services that the ministry provides were made in appreciation of the role that pets play in the lives and faith of the church congregants.

This year’s blessing will be held on October 1 at 1:00pm at the front steps of Woods Church. Organizers said there will be a group prayer at the beginning and at the end. A pastor will bless each pet individually, and attendees will receive a blessing certificate. Treats, bandannas and toys will be available for the pets, including braided tug toys made by Severna Park Elementary School students.

The event is rain or shine. The 2022 blessing was held indoors due to a tropical storm warning.

“It was very loud, but it was also very fun,” Kissam said.

Getting the word out to people outside the church can be difficult. This year, Woods Church’s praise band participated in the Severna Park Fourth of July parade to spread awareness about the event.

“We had a car decorated with animals, we gave animal treats and passed out little cards and flyers about the event,” said Woods Church Noah’s Ark Ministry co-chairperson Leslie Wintz.

Woods Church also offers a virtual option for anyone too far away or otherwise unable to attend in-person, catering to the church’s elderly population.

“We know that a lot of folks don’t get out and drive, so it presents a great option where they can still have their pets blessed,” Wintz said.

To request a blessing, email noahsark@woodschurch.org with a photo of your pet, the pet’s name and your name and the church will email a blessing certificate.

St. Martin’s is holding its animal blessing event on October 7 at 4:30pm outside Heck Hall, the original church building. For questions about the event, email parishadmin@stmartinsinthefield.org.

The St. Martin’s animal blessing also has something for those who don’t have pets. This year, St. Martin’s is partnering with the Animal Allies Rescue Foundation (AARF), which will bring dogs and cats that are either adoptable now or will be adoptable in the near future to be blessed and meet potential adopters. Jory Bender, St. Martin’s finance director, volunteers with AARF and helps foster some of their animals.

People will not be able to go home from the event with the adoptable animals, but they can meet the pets, learn about the adoption process and pick up an application.

The St. Martin’s blessing will feature a brief and casual service with no hymns. They will say special prayers and have a brief message to honor St. Francis and his legacy. St. Martin’s also invites attendees to read scripture.

For the Rev. Josh Rodriguez-Hobbs, St. Martin’s new interim rector, one of the best aspects of the animal blessings is how much the children are involved in the service.

“It’s a passion of mine, making sure that even our youngest members know and feel that they are a vital part of the congregation,” Rodriguez-Hobbs said.

At all three churches, pets of all species are welcome to come to the event if they are on a leash or in a travel carrier.

“We will happily bless whatever parts of God’s creation are brought here,” Arnold said.

Non-furred animals have also come to be blessed. In 2022, someone brought some African dwarf frogs to Woods Church in a fishbowl. Rodriguez-Hobbs once blessed an iguana. But his favorite was a hamster named Spiderman.

“Spiderman has always stuck with me,” Rodriguez-Hobbs said.

One year, someone brought a goat to be blessed at Woods Church. Wintz’s mom also brought her border collie. The dog tried to herd the goat during the ceremony.

“Sometimes, it gets to be a little bit of a circus, if you know what I mean,” Wintz said.