Fr. Lou Phillips holds Blessing of the Animals at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland

WESTBROOK---In celebration of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, which is October 4, Fr. Lou Phillips, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook, visited the Animal Refuge League where he blessed about 30 cats, dogs, bunnies, and birds looking to be adopted.

Blessing of the Animals ceremonies are often held on or around St. Francis’ feast day because the saint was known for his love of animals and care for all of God’s creation. Typically, people bring their pets to the ground outside a church to have them blessed, but this year, Fr. Phillips decided to start a new tradition and to bless those animals still awaiting homes, recognizing that they might be the pets most in need of a blessing.

“The morning at the shelter was a graced and humbling experience. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to impart God’s blessings upon some of his most vulnerable and needy creatures,” Fr. Philips.

Fr. Phillips began by offering a prayer, thanking God for the gift of our pets and asking for his help so “that we might take care of those creatures who trust us to look after them and, by doing this, share in your own love for all creation.”

Accompanied by Fr. Dominic Tumusiime, AJ, Deacon Lawrence Guertin, and a small group of parishioners, he then walked among the cages and stalls holding the animals, briefly blessing each one of them and sprinkling each with holy water.

Fr. Phillips is an animal lover. He has a cat named Dominic whom he adopted from the shelter a couple years ago, and he had a dog named Padre, who just recently passed away.

“I think there is just so much to be said for adopting a shelter pet. I think they really bring us closer, at least they bring me closer to God’s love,” said Fr. Phillips. “When you get the love of a cat or a dog, then you kind of know what unconditional love is all about. They don’t have bad days.”

Jeana Roth, director of community engagement for the Animal Refuge League, said she was pleased to welcome Fr. Phillips for the blessing ceremony.

“Especially as an adopter and supporter of our mission, it was an honor to receive that call and to welcome him here. He is clearly a strong advocate for adoption and for the work that shelters do and that means so much to us because what we do here is really community centered and community driven,” she said.

In addition to the blessing, the group from St. Anthony of Padua Parish dropped off pet food and other items donated by parishioners.