St. Boniface Episcopal Church welcomed "organized chaos" of the best kind on Oct. 4 to its outdoor chapel as Rev. Nikki Seger led its annual pet blessing service.
She greeted dogs great and small with a reading of Genesis that celebrates the creation of living creatures and "A Litany for Animals." It's a longstanding annual tradition that she has personally led for the past four years.
Seger said the tradition came about as a fun way of celebrating the Feast of St. Francis while recognizing the important role beloved pets play in Siesta Key homes.
Dogs weren't the only animals in attendance, though. Alex Perez and Talia Casey brought their cat, Mister Figment Spirit Wink, for the special service.
They recently adopted him from the Humane Society of Sarasota County.
"He has an adventurous little spirit, so we thought it would be good to get him out of the house," Casey said. "We left our senior cat at home — this is not her scene."
Seger said, so far, only cats and dogs have been in attendance at St. Boniface's service. But she has blessed spiders and other interesting critters at other similar events.
On Saturday, the church bells brought out a chorus of barks with every chime. Amid the joy-filled discord, attendees each smiled as Seger stopped to shake each paw.
Parishioners also brought pet food donations to support the humane society.
Talia Casey and Alex Perez brought their cat, Mister Figment Spirit Wink, to the Oct. 4 pet blessing at St. Boniface Episcopal Church.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Attendees at St. Boniface Episcopal Church's annual pet blessing also brought pet food donations for the Humane Society of Sarasota County.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Rev. Nikki Seger brought her own dog, Bishop, to St. Boniface Episcopal Church's annual pet blessing on Oct. 4.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Bunny Willett brought her pup, Andre, for a special pet blessing on Oct. 4 at St. Boniface Episcopal Church. Andre is a Bichon Frisé-Papillon mix.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Puppy faces peak out in the crowd of attendees of a special Oct. 4 pet blessing service led by Rev. Nikki Seger.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Bishop pays close attention while his owner, Rev. Nikki Seger, leads the pet blessing service at St. Boniface Episcopal Church.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Rev. Nikki Seger reads "A Litany for Animals."
Photo by Dana Kampa
Siesta Key pet owners brought dogs of many breeds to the Oct. 4 blessing for the Feast of St. Francis at St. Boniface Episcopal Church.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Parishioners at St. Boniface Episcopal Church joined the pet blessing service and donated food for the Humane Society of Sarasota County.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Kay Goodman and Georgia Salaverri take in the Oct. 4 pet blessing service with Eli, a golden retriever and poodle mix, at St. Boniface Episcopal Church.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Leslie McLean and Misty the Havanese tune into St. Boniface Episcopal Church's pet blessing.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Ziggy the 5-year-old French Bulldog looks up adoringly at owners Nick and Susan Stavros.
Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.
