Chennai Basilica invites pets for mass on Oct 4, 2015

Mangalore Today News Network

Chennai, Sep 23 2015:  Catholic churches have  mass on Sunday as well as other days. But the one that will be held on October 4 at St Thomas Basilica in Santhome here will be  unique. For, it will be attended not just by people but their pet animals to, who will also be blessed in a special ceremony.

 

 

October 4, celebrated globally as World Animal Day, is the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, who is regarded as the patron saint of animals. He was a lover of nature and so we will have a special blessing for animals between 11am and 11.30am, says Rev Fr Louis Mathias, parish priest of St Thomas Basilica, adding that the only other day when they have a similar ceremony is on Maatu Pongal, a Tamil  cultural festival in January, when animals that are helpful to farmers are blessed.

St Thomas Basilica is one of the three basilicas in the world which were built over the tomb of an apostle. St Peter’s in Rome and St Jame’s in Spain are the other two. It is built over the tomb of St Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ who came to India in 52AD.

A similar ceremony was held six years ago at St Thomas Basilica, says Chinny Krishna, chairman emeritus, Blue Cross of India, which is organizing the event. Usually  the ceremony on  October 4 falls on a Sunday. 

According to Krishna, the day has even more significance as the present Pope, when ordained, changed his name to Francis in honour of St Francis of Assisi. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he took his papal title after the patron saint of animals. 

A few churches and temples across the city are planning to conduct similar ceremonies. Every year, special prayers are held at the Ganesha idol located under the peepal tree at the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation. Animals are a part of our culture and tradition. We worship Ganesha and Hanuman, and nearly every god has an animal as the vahana (vehicle), says Nanditha Krishna, director of the foundation. Kolam every morning is drawn with rice flour so that ants can feed on it.

Catherine Fatima Yourey, 61, who along with her two friends, care for seven-year-old Whitey, a stray mongrel in their area, will make the trip from Perambur to Santhome on October 4.  she said it is a beautiful idea to have a ceremony to bless the animal companions in your life.  It will enthuse all animal lovers.