School Celebrates Blessing of Animals

As eighth-grader Jennifer Sherman read verses Tuesday morning relating the biblical account of Creation, creatures great and small barked, squawked and wriggled on the quadrangle at Chaminade College Preparatory Middle School.

The menagerie of pets--including a rat named Al and a parrot named Sadie--their owners and about 600 students gathered for the Catholic school’s annual Blessing of the Animals.

The informal outdoor rites are celebrated by many Catholic and Episcopal churches in October to honor the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and nature.

“We have a very diverse student body here,” said Candy Wallace, the school’s public relations manager. “Not all of the students are Catholic, but we invite everyone to participate in Catholic ceremonies and Masses.”

Dalmatians, retrievers, desert turtles, chameleons, hamsters and guinea pigs, among other pets, were prayed over and sprinkled with holy water by Father Edwin Johnson, a Marianist priest and the campus pastor.

“Lord, with love and compassion watch over our pets and all the animals,” the group prayed in unison. “Keep them in health. Guard them against trouble. May the wisdom of St. Francis and our love for these animals deepen our respect for all your creation.”

Christina Zdenek, a seventh-grader, said she brought her pet chameleon, a male, to the prayer service to receive a special blessing.

“I have another [female] chameleon at home. I’m mating them and I want them to have the best of luck,” she said.

It seems as if Christina’s prayers for the female chameleon have been answered: She’s already given birth to 54 babies.