Pets and beloved animals are invited to the grounds of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 3936 South Main Street, next to the big park in downtown Trappe, to be blessed at 10 o’clock on Saturday, October 9th.  Fr. Gordon Morrison has blessed even pet tarantulas as well as parrots, dogs, cats, horses and goldfish.  Their human friends might best hold the more enthusiastically “animated” pets or Fr. Morrison will be happy to meet them in their cars.

Once at the Blessing of the Animals event, when asked by a television reporter if he believed that dogs would go to heaven, Fr. Morrison answered,  “If they don’t, I’m not sure I want to go myself.”   He admits that may not be completely sound theology but thinks that sentiment echoes the ideas of St. Francis of Assisi.  Beloved St. Francis took the Bible at its word, understanding that even the birds of the air should be told the Good News of the Gospel. Jalal ed Deen Rumi, the Sufi Muslim poet, who was St. Francis’ teacher, is reputed to have walked along after a rain, gently moving worms from the path lest they be trodden underfoot. His purpose was to teach that all life comes from The One God. It is in the spirit of Blessed Francis and Rumi that the folks of St. Paul’s, Trappe honor the creatures with whom we share life on earth.