Nicaraguans celebrate mass for dogs, pray for cures
My Church does this in Oct. for the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (one of my favorite saints). I just thought I'd share this with the rest of the animal lovers here:Nicaraguans celebrate mass for dogs, pray for cures
MASAYA, Nicaragua (Reuters) - Hundreds of dogs, many dressed as
babies or clowns, were taken to celebrate mass in this Nicaraguan town
on Sunday, an annual ritual where the owners pray for their pets to be
cured or avoid falling ill.
A long queue of Catholics, carrying their pets or leading them on
leashes, waited their turn to pass by an image of a saint in a tiny
church in this town 20 miles to the south of the Nicaragua capital,
Managua.
The faithful thank the saint for curing their pets or ask for the
dogs to be protected from illness. The town's priest always conducts a
special canine mass.
"We brought him so he does not get sick," said local resident Nora
Espinosa, talking about her six-month-old Basset Hound, dressed in a
soccer outfit.
Locals say the tradition goes back to the colonial period after the Spanish conquest.
(Reporting by Ivan Castro; writing by Chris Aspin)
God bless you and all the animals you love!
-Wysteria Blossom