CRIDERSVILLE, OH (WLIO) - Pets are important members of the family, so one local church set time aside on Sunday to include them in their faith.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church held their first-ever drive-in Blessing of the Pets in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. The role of animals in the narratives of the bible is often overlooked, or they aren't given enough credit for their support, like the donkey that Jesus rode to Jerusalem.
The blessing is a chance for the church to both educate people about the importance of animals in the family unit and in their faith and pray over them for their wellbeing.
"We'll be praying and blessing them for protection and giving thanks to God for the fact that animals are our companions. And also not just for the ones that we have with us, but for animals that are in the line of being extinct, we want to pray for that to end. We also want to pray for animals that are abused and neglected," said Sam Payne, the pastor at St. Matthew.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church will also be holding their annual Octoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 15th, from 3 pm to 6 pm.
