East Manatee pastor to pray for family pets once again

Anyone with a dog named Janie has got to be of the opinion that a pet is no less a family member than a wife, husband, sister or brother.

In fact, The Rev. Brian Bagley-Bonner loves animals so much, including his own Miss Janie, that every year he encourages the public to bring their animals to his church, Faith United Church of Christ, 4850 State Road 64 E., Bradenton, so they can be blessed by him.

Faith UCC’s Fourth Annual Blessing of the Animals, including the pastor’s Janie, who, by the way, is a “Chiweenie,” a chihuahua-dachshund mix, is set for 11 a.m. Saturday on the patio at Faith UCC.

“So many people who live here, we have found, don’t have much family nearby and they have their pets as family,” Bagley-Bonner said Wednesday. “They are very supporting and loving to their pets because their pets are really a comfort to them, especially if they have lost a spouse. So, we want to acknowledge that and bless them and celebrate the gift that pets are to us.”

The public is invited to bring their dog, cat, bird, hamster, snake or just about any other pet to the church to be prayed over by the pastor, which just takes a few moments, Bagley-Bonner said.

“We haven’t had a lot of variety in the past, it’s mostly dogs and a few cats,” the pastor said. “We have not had any snakes, or lizards or any birds. I keep waiting. We invite furry and feathery and finny friends to come but haven’t had any birds or fish yet. But who knows. It seems to be growing every year.”

The blessings, which drew about 20 animals last year, are free, Bagley-Bonner added.

Church members Fred and Hatti Damianos are taking Langston, their eight-year-old pomeranian-shih tzu mix, to be blessed for the second year in a row.

Hatti Damianos said “a beautiful spirit” pervades the church grounds during the blessing.

“It’s fun,” Damianos said. “We had different breeds of dogs last year and cats. There were dogs of all ages. Some of the dogs were ill. Some people asked for blessings to help their dogs behave better. I think the beauty of it is that everyone there considers their pets members of the family.”

Langston wasn’t sure why he was lifted to the pastor’s blessing table last year but kept his cool, his owner said.

“He reacted well,” Damianos. “I think Langston appreciated being blessed. He gave the pastor a lot of kisses.”

Blessing goes back to St. Francis

The blessing of animals traces back to St. Francis of Assisi, a very well known saint in the 1200s, Bagley-Bonner said.

“He was aware that the creatures we live with, even the sun and moon, are part of God’s creation and are important to God and a beautiful representation of God,” Bagley-Bonner said. “So, he really began this movement and many churches will have this on Oct. 4, which is his feast day.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "East Manatee pastor to pray for family pets once again."