SAUGUS — A bevy of four-legged worshipers joined Blessed Sacrament Church’s Saturday afternoon mass for the annual Blessing of the Animals, an annual tradition that drew roughly a dozen worshippers to the church’s back lawn.
The Rev. Fr. Jay Makos presided over the ceremony, which is typically held to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis, which falls on Oct. 4. St. Francis is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment.
On Saturday, all dogs were required to be kept on a leash and other pets had to be confined to a crate, but that didn’t prevent many of the furry attendees from enjoying the proceedings.
Riley, a dog owned by Nicole Indresano, of Lynnfield, seemed especially curious of Pat McCauley’s,
of Saugus, cat Dusty, who sat in a carrier during the blessing.
Fr. Makos offered individual blessings for animals in attendance, including Wakefield woman Lisa Jones’s Australian Cobberdog, Coco, who received a light sprinkling of water while Rita Taylor, of Saugus, and her dog, Colee, looked on, waiting for their turn.
Blessed Sacrament is one of two parishes comprising the Saugus Catholics Collaborative, along with Saint Margaret Church. Fr. Makos serves as pastor for both.
