Sparky the Chihuahua didn't look especially happy to be sitting in church on a Saturday.
The small, black dog sat in his owner Shelley Lee's arms during a service that included songs and prayers celebrating the relationship between people and animals at Nelson's St. Saviour's Pro-Cathedral on Oct. 4.
Near the end of the event, Lee carried Sparky up to near the altar where he was blessed by Rev. Sue Basek. Lee isn't part of the church's congregation, but she thought it was a novel idea to have Sparky receive a blessing — even though Sparky might prefer atheism.
“He was a wimp the whole time," said Lee.
The church pews were filled by pets and their owners for the annual Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis, who died in the 13th century, is known for founding the Franciscan order, his care for people suffering from poverty and illness, and being the namesake of San Francisco. But he's also the patron saint of ecologists, due to his sermons preaching the equality of all creatures, not just humans.
The feast, during which pets are given blessings, is celebrated worldwide, but in Nelson has typically only been marked during Sunday service.
That changed after Nelson's BC SPCA office was shut down last November. Rev. David Burrows wanted to open the feast up to the community and use it as a fundraiser for the BC SPCA's mobile unit now serving the Nelson area. He was delighted Saturday by the new faces, both human and animal, who participated in the service.
"The teachings of St. Francis remind us that we're not just human beings in a vacuum. We're part of nature, and nature is a beautiful, wonderful thing.”
The churchgoers mostly included dogs, who either patiently slept at their owners feet, yipped at each other or perhaps wondered what all the fuss was about. Some visitors brought images of pets they had lost, and lit candles in their memory.
“I think that that's so important for folks because we don't always have places to go grieve our pets and be reminded of the wonder and the beauty that they had in our lives for a period of time," said Burrows.
Jude Stralak and her two-year-old dog Pipsi attended the feast. Stralak isn't a member of the congregation, but she volunteers as a cook for St. Saviour's community meals and knew the story of Francis.
“Twenty minutes are added to your life if you pet an animal. We need their unconditional love.”
The only animal to be blessed that wasn't a dog was Aziza, a turkey owned by Deborah Nasmyth, who sat silent and calm in a blanketed box that was carried up to the altar. It was a first for Burrows, who had previously blessed parrots, a Newfoundland pony, donkeys and "any kind of dog in creation" during past feasts, but never a turkey.
Aziza is one of six turkeys Nasmyth rescued from being slaughtered. She was invited to the event by a friend, and thought it would be a good way of exposing people to a live turkey for the first time.
“I really wanted people to appreciate that she's a living, breathing, beautiful animal and really just as precious as any cat or dog.”
Nasmyth said she hoped people who met Aziza might reconsider their menu ahead of Thanksgiving next weekend.
“All animals deserve to be loved," she said, "and traditions can be changed.”
