St. Ambrose Church in Brunswick blesses pets in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi

BRUNSWICK, Ohio - A celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, was held at St. Ambrose Church in Brunswick Sunday.

Owners and their four-legged family members turned out for a special Mass where blessings were given by the Rev. Bob Stec. Dogs of all shapes and sizes participated in the service.

The Mass provided an opportunity for parishioners to share with each other how much their pets meant to them.

"My pet is so important because when I come home and there is nobody in the house, my dog always knows how to say hello and make me happy," said parishioner Carlotta Metter, referring to her dog Newbee.

Noah's Ark, the church's pet ministry, held a pet fair in conjunction with the pet blessing Mass. Cats and dogs were available for adoption. For St. Ambrose student Michael Koehn, being a member of the ministry was very rewarding.

"We get to work with dogs all the time. We get to talk to a lot of different people from a lot of different ministries and vendors. It's just a really great experience," said Koehn.