LOVELOCK - Many Lovelock residents and parishioners of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church showed up for the Festival of St. Francis of Assisi held Oct. 4, to have their pets blessed.
Father Edgar Villanueva, Priest of the church, said he was surprised at the amount of people who brought their pets to be blessed.
"I didn't expect so many people. We had goats, horses, dogs and cats. I was glad to see so many children. It shows that they love their pets," Villanueva said.
"Father Edgar is just super. He's so good with children," parishioner Miki Dingee said.
One of the children who brought a pet to be blessed was Ana Paredes. She brought her pet goat Brownie, who had been sick.
"So he won't die, cause he was sick," Paredes answered when asked why she had taken her goat to be blessed.
"Brownie is better now," Paredes said a few days after the blessing. Paredes is sure that the blessing is the reason Brownie is doing better now, she said.
The oldest of the animals Villanueva blessed was a 31-year-old mare named Bella owned by Lisa Moura.
Bella has served Moura well. Moura's parents gave Bella as a conformation present to her when she was just 14 years old she said. Moura won many buckles and a saddle while riding Bella in her High School Rodeo days. Bella has even helped other local youth compete in their High School Rodeo events since Moura's.
"She has been a very good horse," Moura said.
About a month ago the Bella was very sick.
"We almost lost her and the kids were so upset," Moura said.
So Moura and husband Anthony decided to take Bella and their cow dogs to be blessed.
"We're to be kind to all animals and treat them well, so we took them to have them blessed," Moura said.
Villanueva blessed all the animals on the steps of the Catholic Church with the traditional prayer of St. Francis.
"Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen."
Villanueva said the Blessing of the Animals is a tradition in the Catholic belief as well as other Christian religions.
According to the website americancatholic.org/features/francis/blessing.asp the tradition is held in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi's love for all creatures. Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God's living things. "All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures."
One of the more popular stories of St. Francis's allure with animals is the story of a wolf tamed by St. Francis to protect the town of Gubbio as told in The Little Flowers of Saint Frances by Brother Ugolino written some believe in the 12th century.
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is at 1045 Franklin Ave. and holds Mass every Saturday at 5 p.m. with a Spanish service at 6:30 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
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