Blessing of the animals in Sayville brings hope that Trixie will last as the family dog
J. Gary Brinn, right, pastor of Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ, blesses Harry, right, and Geist. Claudia De-Bellis and Jeffery Spahn of Bayport, left, were among dozens at the blessing Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. Credit: Veronique Louis
Michelle Raynor brought her 8-month-old puppy, Trixie, to a blessing of the animals in Sayville Sunday, hoping some divine guidance will help in her third try at finding a family dog.
Her first, a Wheaten terrier, was born blind. Then she brought home a poodle. The new pooch bit her sons, ages 3 and 5, multiple times. Raynor, of Yaphank, reluctantly gave both dogs away.
Sunday, she waited with her Trixie -- a goldendoodle -- along with about 40 other people and their pets at The Common Ground at Rotary Park in Sayville.
"I'm hoping she will be a good family fit," said Raynor, 43.
J. Gary Brinn, pastor of Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ, knelt down over Trixie in prayer.
"Dear Lord, please bless Trixie this day and always amen," Brinn said.
His blessing made Raynor cautiously optimistic.
"I hope that did it," a relieved Raynor said.
One by one the pastor prayed for the nearly 40 dogs and handful of cats in the park, a day after the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Although Francis is a Roman Catholic saint, denominations of all kinds bless animals each fall in his honor.
Coram animal lover Haydee Gomez lost Alfie, her white Pomeranian, on St. Patrick's Day when he died in his sleep.
"I feel so lost without him," said Gomez, 58, after having another pet blessed. "I had him for 15 years."
She asked Brinn to pray over an old cellphone picture of Alfie. The pastor obliged.
Bonnie O'Brien of Suffolk County brought her rescued cat she got on Black Friday from a pet-adoption event in Port Jefferson.
"She is the best thing that's come into my life in a long time," O'Brien said. "She's everything I wish people were -- absolutely unconditional love and nonjudgmental."
After blessing all the animals, the pastor closed out the event with a prayer for the humans who brought them.
"They bless us with their presence in our lives and remind us of what is good, true, vital . . . vulnerable," Brinn said during his closing prayer in the park. "We are not divided by the kind of pet we choose . . . there is only one team, God's team."
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