A church blessing for animals

IT MIGHT not be Noah's Ark, but All Saints Booval will be taking animals of all kinds at a ceremony.

The Reverend Keren Terpstra with Sam and Bert at All Saints Anglican Church. Picture: Claudia Baxter

IT MIGHT not be Noah's Ark, but All Saints Booval will be taking animals of all kinds at a ceremony next month.

The church, in conjunction with St Paul's Ipswich, Glebe Rd Uniting Church and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, will be holding its second Blessing of the Pets on Sunday, October 7, and is inviting Ipswich residents to bring their animals to be individually blessed.

All Saints Booval's Reverend Keren Terpstra will conductthe service in which people give thanks for their pets and recognise the importance the animals play in their lives.

"We love out pets and our companion animals, and we believe God loves them too," she said. "Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a regular churchgoer, you don't even have to own a pet. You can come and give thanks for all animals."

Rev Terpstra said the date was chosen for its proximity to the feast of St Francis of Assisi who reputedly preached to birds.

The Blessing of Pets will begin at noon on Sunday, October 7, at Cameron Park, Booval, with all pet owners and pets welcome.

For further information about the Blessing of Pets phone the church on 3282 1471.

Originally published as A church blessing for animals