Photo Derek Burritt Animals and their owners got blessed in Truro. See slideshow with this article.
Photo Derek Burritt Sunday, members of the Christian Union Church in Truro celebrated Earth Day with a blessing of the animals ceremony. (see individual captions at end of the article.)
TRURO—Mackenzie Foley went to church like she normally does on Sunday, but this week she brought her cat, dog and two chickens—and she wasn’t alone.
In celebration of Earth Day, the Christian Union Church of North Truro held its first ever blessing of the animals event organized by student minister Nell Fields and Foley, a fourth grader at Wellfleet Elementary School and Sunday school student. Fields says she and Foley teamed up to coordinate the ceremony because they share a common love of animals, or as Fields says, “We’re both animal freaks.”
Jed Foley, Mackenzie’s father, says his daughter was very excited to work with Nell on the project, which the two have been planning all winter. “Mackenzie’s first word was ‘dog.’ Her second word was ‘kitty,’” Foley says while describing his daughter’s deep love of animals.
Fields has been a seminary student at Andover Newton Theological School, in Newton, Mass., since September and, as part of her study, has been worshipping at the Union Church as a student minister since January, says Minister Bonnie Goodwin.
Through word of mouth, a flyer campaign and announcements on WOMR radio, Fields and Foley drew more than 50 animal lovers from the congregation and their friends to the ceremony, which was held across the street from the church after a truncated Sunday service. On this special day, Goodwin also allowed those who wished to bring their pets in the church for the service. Truro Central School fourth grader Margaret Aiken worshipped in the church with both a hymnal book and her dog Iggy in her lap.
Outside under the brilliantly warm spring sunshine, a beautifully diverse group of people enjoyed sharing each other’s company while celebrating the pets they love. Aaron Kacergis, of Eastham, had his hands full with the family beagle, Corrigan, and his aunt’s dog, Pugzilla. He and his wife, Nury, attended the event together before he ships off to Arizona for his first active duty in the U.S. air force. Pat Costa read about the event on the Council on Aging’s bulletin board and brought her border collie mixed breed Samantha to be blessed. Ciara Milliken, a fifth grader at Eastham Elementary School, circulated among attendees with a very skittish Cloud in her arms, one of the few cats at the event.
If the sentiment in the hearts of the assembled group can be verbalized, it would be in the lyrics of the song “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” which was sung at the ceremony. “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, All Things wise and wonderful, our dear God made them all.”
CAPTIONS:
Mackenzie Foley (right) holds her pet dog and sits next to her chickens as she and Ciara Milliken (left) take part in the blessing of the animals ceremony Sunday.
Minister Bonnie Goodwin blesses Pugzilla.
Student minister Nell Fields (left) and Mackenzie Foley organized the event.
Pat Costa and her dog Samantha wait for the ceremony to begin.
Ciara Milliken sits with her cat, Cloud, who was very stimulated by all the other animals.
More than 50 people attended the ceremony across the street from the Christian Union Church of North Truro.
Some of the animals returned the love student minister Nell Fields gave to them.
Margaret Aiken (right) and her mother Alison sit in church with Iggy.
Apr 19th, 2007
