St. John the Evangelist Church at Ballard Estate, the tip of South Mumbai, will resume the practice after a Covid lockdown-induced hiatus of one year. The blessing will be held on October 10 this year
A horse being blessed by a priest in Slovenia
The Blessing of the Pets, an annual ritual where owners come in with their pets—dogs, cats, birds, even fish—to be blessed by a parish priest is back. St. John the Evangelist Church at Ballard Estate, the tip of South Mumbai, will resume the practice after a Covid lockdown-induced hiatus of one year. The blessing will be held on October 10 this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
Blessing guidelines
Fr Joe D’Souza, parish priest of the church and Port Chaplain, said, “I have been blessing pets for, I think, 24 years now, but last year naturally it did not take place. This time churches have reopened and we are going to have our first Mass on October 7. This is also good as it is just in time for Blessing of the Pets, which I will conduct on October 10. Though I have spread the word through WhatsApp to the parishioner base, I want more people to learn about this. Many may be under the mistaken impression that Blessing of the Pets will not be held this year as well, but we are going ahead.”
Fr. Joe D'Souza (right) blesses Booboo, a vulture, in 2018. Pic/Bipin Kokate
The parish priest said, “I will ensure social distancing of owners as they arrive for the blessing for their animals. While they wait, one person can sit in the front of the pew, while the other will be seated on the side. If there is a family, then they can sit together. I do not think there will be too much crowding. Masks, of course, will be mandatory.”
The iguana
Fr Joe D’Souza stated that he expects dogs, cats, birds and fish to be brought in by their owners. “I do get some unusual pets though,” he said. The year before last, Fr. D’Souza had to bless an iguana—a type of lizard. “I remember the iguana was quite small when it was brought here,” recalled the priest.
In 2018, he had to bless a vulture named Booboo. “I recall telling the owner that the vulture’s beak had to be taped,” he laughed. The vulture had to be brought in a couple of days earlier with special permission, rather than the stipulated blessing date as the owners had to release it in the wilds in Nashik and the forest department in Nashik instructed them to release the bird on a particular day. “I had said a special prayer for Booboo to enjoy his new life in the wild,” said Fr. D’Souza.
Parrot speaks
A couple of years ago, the Fr. recalled, there was a parrot in the church. “I remember there was a lot of squawking by the parrot. A dog owner, who had brought in a couple of labradors, shouted at the parrot across the pew: ‘shut up!’ The parrot promptly gave it back to the owner, squawking ‘shut up’ to the startled dog owner. I remember when the parrot said shut up, the labradors stopped barking,” Fr D’Souza said, consumed with mirth.
The priest has also been appointed Port Chaplain, he said by the Archbishop’s House. “As Port Chaplain, I will have to go inside with a special pass to bless the captain and crew of ships and liners docked at the port, when and if asked to do so," he explained. The priest signed off, “I have the Blessing of the Pets in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, and that is why I bless all furry and feathery friends.” The Blessing of the Pets will take place at St. John the Evangelist Church, Ballard Estate on Sunday at 10 am. Call: 022-22611056 for details.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
