Pets are lovingly blessed at Brookville Church

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Brookville Church had another successful Blessing of the Animals service on Sept. 24. Church and community members gathered on the front lawn to experience a unique worship experience that included a personalized blessing for each pet that accompanied its owner.

For the past eight years Brookville Church in Glen Head has welcomed pets of all sizes, shapes and species to receive a special blessing. The ceremony is in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals, and is held around his birthday each year.

The church blesses about 20 animals each year with some community members coming out year after year to participate. Local animal shelters also stop by with a few animals that are up for adoption and the church collects pet supplies along with monetary donations to support them.

This year, all of the pet supplies collected were for Hurricane Maria relief and will be shipped to Puerto Rico to help shelters that have taken in lost pets. Those in attendance not only brought their pets to be blessed but also gave generously, filling the altar with bags of dog and cat food, feeding bowls, leashes and a whole box of dawn dish soap to help with pet-cleaning efforts.

The other recipients this year were Cove Animal Rescue and Forgotten Friends of Long Island. Together, the community raised $313 for each shelter, and Brookville Church was thrilled to promote the work these no-kill and rescue shelters are doing in the community. To find out more about Brookville Church visit: www.BrookvilleChurch.org