CHURCHES ORGANIZE BLESSINGS OF ANIMALS.

Byline: Holly Andres Staff Writer

The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, will be observed this weekend during services where family pets will be blessed.

The Rev. Victor Ruvalcaba will lead the service at St. John Eudes Catholic Church in Chatsworth, where family pets and even horses will be among the animals blessed.

``Animals are treasured, especially by children, and all the way up to seniors who get comfort from their pets. It is within the tradition of the church for animals to receive a blessing,'' Ruvalcaba said. ``It's a way of praising God when we hold a service like this.''

Animal lovers will march with their pets, or with a photo of their pets, around the church's school playfield until they reach Ruvalcaba, who will recite the blessing. The pets will be sprinkled with holy water.

``St. Francis was friendly with animals. He had a way of communing with nature. The ceremony is a way of recognizing the place animals have in our life. I think it will be kind of fun,'' said Ruvalcaba, who recalled Duchess, a beloved German shepherd-Collie mix, who was his family's faithful companion when he was growing up.

St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day was Friday, is also the patron saint of zoos, animal welfare societies, the environment, ecology, families, merchants and peace.

A son of a rich merchant, he gave up a worldly lifestyle to follow the ways of Jesus. He composed songs and hymns to nature. St. Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan order before his death in 1226.

``There is a great collection of stories about St. Francis of Assisi regarding animals. His preaching to birds is one,'' said the Rev. Msgr. Peter Nugent of St. John Eudes, whose spaniel-mix dog, Boots, was a beloved family pet. ``In another story, he verbally got after a wolf. His canticle on nature, 'Brother Sun, Sister Moon' is well-known. He brought people into the ideas of renewal and closeness to nature.

``This is a service that bridges all ages. It gets children to participate because their pets are very dear to them. For our parish, it reflects the common concerns they have on environmental issues. It also gives us a chance to take a moral stance to respect nature.''

St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys will hold its fourth annual Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday. Pets brought to this service, as well as to the service at St. John Eudes today, must be properly restrained.

``My new dog, a Lab mix, is tall, blond, 18 months old and he is bonkers. He really needs a blessing,'' said Diana Berrones, talking about her mischief-maker Buster. ``We have a chance to be blessed every Sunday in church. This is a chance for our pets to have God's blessings.''

Berrones is a veteran organizer of St. Mark's animal blessing service. She has a cat, Dudley, and two other dogs, Nellie and Bibs. Bibs and Berrones participate in a pet therapy program for patients at Sherman Oaks Hospital.

A prayer new to St. Mark's service this year will address animals who have been deserted or who are hungry, and also for the welfare and safekeeping of unborn animals.

``Each pet at our service gets blessed by name. It's kind of a chaotic service but it's very warm, touching and sweet. We're asking for God's protection for the pets we love,'' Berrones said. ``It's very spiritual. Pets make us better people. They give us a sense of peace and joy. It's our opportunity to give back to them.''

The Rev. Victor Ruvalcaba will lead the Blessing of the Animals service at 9 a.m. today at St. John Eudes Catholic Church, 9901 Mason Ave., Chatsworth. Call [phone] for information. The Rev. Norman Hull will lead the 10 a.m. Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 14646 Sherman Way, Van Nuys. Bring a toy for a dog or a cat or a clean towel to be donated to Pet Orphans in Van Nuys. Call [phone] for information.

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Shaun Beardsley, 9, of Chatsworth holds his dog outside St. John Eudes Catholic Church, where animals will be blessed.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer