A day for our blessed pets

ANIMALS great and small made their way to Cameron Park in Booval to be blessed on Sunday.

Nevenia Bennett of Silkstone with her poodle Lucy being blessed by Reverend Helen Paget of St Paul’s Church Ipswich at Cameron Park. . Picture: David Nielsen

ANIMALS great and small made their way to Cameron Park in Booval to be blessed yesterday.

From guinea pigs, to german shepherds, to a wolfhound the size of a pony, animal lovers were out in force at the annual Blessing of the Pets.

Run by All Saint's Anglican Church's Reverend Keren Terpstra, along with St Paul's Ipswich, Glebe Rd Uniting Church and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a crowd dominated by dog owners braved the heat to bless their animals.

Silkstone woman Nevenia Bennett brought for blessing her poodle Lucy who had been recently hit by a car.

"I've recently started going to church again, and I want to give Lucy the very best chance of recovery," she said.

"I figured taking her to be blessed couldn't hurt.

"It's been very meaningful for me, as a Christian, to be able to bring Lucy here."

While Ms Bennett was hoping for a recovery, others were looking just for a blessing for their animal.

Cathy Buckel said she was hoping the blessing would calm down her seven-month-old german shepherd-cross Jessie.

"We thought it would be nice to have Jessie blessed," she said.

"And if we're lucky Jessie might be a bit less destructive at home, but we might need an exorcism for that!"

Rev Terpstra said the day had been a great success.

"It all went really well," she said.

"It was a great day, it was very hot, but we still had a good crowd get out here to take part.

"The day's not just for companion animals though. We're thinking about all animals."

She said the date of the blessing had been chosen as close to the feast of St Francis of Assisi.

"He was a bit of a radical for his time; he's reputed to have preached to the birds, and spoken to a wolf that was harassing a town.

"His feast day is on October 4, so we try to hold it as close to that as possible."

The ceremony had a string quartet from West Moreton Anglican College performing throughout the ceremony.

Originally published as A day for our blessed pets