Blessing of the animals turns into ice cream quest

On Sunday October 4, the 2009 Wayne Community Church's “Blessing of the Animals" took place in the church driveway.

Led by Pastor Kristin White, a group of animals, composed of humans and several other species as well, gathered on an overcast day to celebrate and reaffirm the connections among all animals.

The event occurs annually.

Whereas humans are the focus of all other Wayne Community Church events, non-humans dominated this one. Pastor White led off with a few words and then, one-by-one, said a blessing for the assembled pets. They included several canines, a fish, a goat, and (represented by photographic likenesses) several cats.

By name, the pets were: Riley, a half-golden, age 9; Owen, a sheltie, age 7; Charlie, a Yorkshire mix, age 8; Josie, a white dog; Casey, a 14-year-old Lab mix; Clifford, a fish of unknown age; Widget, a Siberian husky, age 3; Cocoa, a Pug, age 3; and Sarah, a golden, age 3.

Also blessed was a goat.

The blessing proceeded without mishap until the goat stole the show. Arriving at the ceremony, the goat had bolted from its collar and run off in the direction of Tubby's, reaching the library before its keepers, mother and daughter Pakulski, re-captured it and brought it back to the confines of the back of the family hatchback.

When the time came to bless the goat, Pastor Kristin went to the car and opened the hatchback and, with some difficulty, blessed the goat. The goat took this as an opportunity to resume its adventure and again headed off in the direction of Tubby's. Again, it reached the library before its keepers, somewhat winded, recaptured it.

At that point, the question of the moment became whether or not the blessing had caused the goat to transform its adventure into a search for spiritual enlightenment in the library rather than for an ice cream cone from Tubby's.

However, the goat was not able to answer that question in words, being a goat.