New Haven Independent

The specific blessing that Gomez received at Sunday’s event? It relates to a teeny little problem Gomez has with his jaws that will be revealed but not quite yet. As animals possess, among their other qualities lauded at the ceremony, great patience, so, the reader too must wait.

Gomez showed up for thechurch’s second annual blessing of the animals event, which recognizes as its source the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. The handsome and cacophonous crowd included Chihuahuas, Labs, Dachshunds, poodles, Pekinese, assorted other canines, one highly vigilant cat securely in its box, and one Chinese dwarf hamster.

Their owners also came along, of course. But the human companions were given decidedly the back seat as Father Michael Ray — owner of an 80-pound former racing greyhound named Oberon — told the animals not to worry if they even had to relieve themselves in the house of the Lord. “We’ll clean and deodorize everything later.”

Why truly give animals their day? Because animals provide humans so much, as Ray made the point in this offered prayer: “Give us humble hearts, Lord, for animals often show an affection that puts us to shame.”

In a sense, therefore, one might say that the congregation went to the dogs, and deservedly so. However, there was also a remarkably strong showing of hermit crabs, such as Mollie Myers’s Pipsqueak.

Right behind Pipsqueak, in a long line that, uh, snaked down the nave of the church, were Charlie and Rosalind, hermit crabs belonging to two other children who clearly chose names to give size, heft, and grandeur to those little crawling creatures that give humans a lesson about shelter. For do not these crabs carry their own, colorfully and always reliably on their backs? Let it be said: They do not ever have to worry about foreclosure.

Indeed the lessons or benefits that animals provide us were the serious and quite moving subtext, as people approached the rector or the assistant pastor, Mo Lederman. Several were in tears and showing photos of lost cats or dogs, or sick animals, and beseeching a blessing that the lost be found, and the sick healed.

They sang, “All things bright and beautiful, creatures great and small.” A responsive reading, underlined with a few most appropriate barks, included these additional gifts that pets bring to the world of humans: for reminding us of the amazing beauty and rich diversity of creation; for providing joy and companionship; and for helping sometimes arrogant bipeds to know our true littleness in the world.

Sue Richmond, shown with Father Ray and her bichon frise, Sophie, was one of the day’s organizers. Richmond, a therapist,said Sophie “teaches me how to live in the moment.”

Tracey Doherty, who lives near St. Thomas’s on Whitney Avenue, rescued her Dachshund, Tallulah, from a puppy mill in Nashville.

What that means, she explained, as Tallulah checked out the other worshippers on the sunny plaza after the blessing, is “they made her have puppies that they could sell. Over and over. So, through a Dachshund organization, I brought her home. She’s humorous, curious, and very spunky.”

As Tallulah was being praised, a tall man name Max came over. “I like Dachshunds because they’re German and I’m German,” Max said. “But of course that’s not the only reason.”

Richmond and St. Thomas’s officials are quite serious about using the connection that animals provide to expand the reach of their church. This year, for the first time, they advertised in several newspapers. Which brings us back to Gomez. He and his owner, who hail from Bridgeport, read about the ceremony in the the Advocate. You see, Gomez’s problem is that he’s a biter.

“May you continue to provide great companionship and pleasure,” said Assistant Pastor Lederman to Gomez, “to your entire family. And please don’t bite.”