Celebrate the Blessing of the Animals: Take your pet Saturday

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Life in the time of a pandemic is a disturbing time for everybody. Often what will get us by is a moist nostril or a low purr of our favourite animals. This Saturday, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 347 Davis Ave., West Brighton takes time to provide again to our pets with a Blessing of the Animals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

When requested how their pets helped get them by troublesome instances like the coronavirus pandemic, we obtain some heartfelt solutions.

“I live alone and if i didn’t have my dogs I would be isolated in the pandemic,: said retired police officer Jane LaMarch with her rescue dog, Sadie. “So having my dogs’ companionship has really helped me. I also have PTSD from 9/11 – I was a first responder. So, having them has helped me get through my PTSD as well.”

“I live by Clove Lakes Park. Every day we would be out in the park to get exercise in the beauty of the wilderness and he loves to walk, so he would walk for hours,” commented Father Bill Baker of Church of the Ascension. “Sky walks me really, instead of me walking him. He’s also my cuddle buddy. Some dogs sleep on the bed – he sleeps under the covers with me. So he’s been my good friend. He loves all people and other animals.”

“Chickens are routine creatures and I need to tend to them on a daily basis,” commented Robert Grande of Staten Island Home Improvement “This routine gave me normalcy during the Covid pandemic. Caring for my chickens is a blessing.”

Lawyer John Sipp and his spouse Dorothy are sometimes seen strolling their two canines by the neighborhood. The canines are very nicely behaved and spend so much of time in the legislation workplace. “Our dogs are very calming and people respond to that, and this is always important especially during this time,” Dorothy Sipp.

Jody Stoll of the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Blessing of the Animals Planning Commmittee mentioned, “this yr with the worst of Covid behind us, for a lot of, it was our religion and the consolation of our animals that sustained us. So we at Saint Mary’s determined to deliver again the Blessing of the Animals and invite our neighborhood to hitch us on Saturday, October ninth for this celebration of our furry associates and love of our neighborhood.:

Jody Stoll, Cathy Carlson, Father Sylvester O. Ekunwe, his daughter, Esohe, Jayne Lamarche, along with her canine Sadie and Lindy Figueroa.

Lexi Bella of the Richmond Hood Company and Vodega, proven along with her canine Sophie

The free occasion contains animal blessings at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., a pet parade, a barbecue and bakery sales space, raffles, prizes, and a presentation by the Staten Island Zoo.

— Written collaboratively by Chris Lazzaro, Meredith Arout, Anthony Pabon, Aaron Bialer, Kevin DiStefano, and Andrew Moszenberg for Life-Wire News Service with Edward Gregory