Blessing pets present, past in Wiscasset
Wiscasset’s Susan Kubler and her Boston terrier Ranger, 17 months, attend First Congregational Church of Wiscasset’s blessing of the animals Sept. 29. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Sky Wentworth brings his and wife Michelle’s happy goldendoodle Sandy to meet with Rev. Josh Fittterling for a blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Rev. Josh Fitterling blesses the pets in photos James Nelon of Woolwich brought of Oreo the dog and Nelon’s late cat, Shadow. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Rev. Josh Fitterling with Ron Sanchez and a photo of Sanchez’s and Tom Cramer’s late dog, Millie. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Maggie the Scottie awaits her blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Choir members, from left, Ronald Sanchez, George LaBar, Greg Shaw, Beth Maxwell and Janet Cappers. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
A dog receives its blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Donations for Midcoast Humane. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Gail Burke brings her poodle-mix Annie for Rev. Josh Fitterling to bless. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Wiscasset’s Gail Burke holds her poodle-mix Annie before the service. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Wiscasset’s Susan Kubler and her Boston terrier Ranger, 17 months, attend First Congregational Church of Wiscasset’s blessing of the animals Sept. 29. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Sky Wentworth brings his and wife Michelle’s happy goldendoodle Sandy to meet with Rev. Josh Fittterling for a blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Rev. Josh Fitterling blesses the pets in photos James Nelon of Woolwich brought of Oreo the dog and Nelon’s late cat, Shadow. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Rev. Josh Fitterling with Ron Sanchez and a photo of Sanchez’s and Tom Cramer’s late dog, Millie. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Maggie the Scottie awaits her blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Choir members, from left, Ronald Sanchez, George LaBar, Greg Shaw, Beth Maxwell and Janet Cappers. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
A dog receives its blessing. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Donations for Midcoast Humane. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Gail Burke brings her poodle-mix Annie for Rev. Josh Fitterling to bless. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Wiscasset’s Gail Burke holds her poodle-mix Annie before the service. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
On a bright red leash that set off her black Scottie coat, Tom Cramer’s and husband Ron Sanchez’s Maggie stood by her seated owners at a blessing of the animals-themed Sunday morning service of First Congregational Church of Wiscasset. Cramer, with Maggie in front of the church steps, and Sanchez, to their right in the choir, also brought a photo for Rev. Josh Fitterling to bless: It was of their border collie. Millie died recently.
As for bringing Maggie, Cramer said, besides her getting the blessing, she loves people. “And she never got to go to church before.”
“She always needs blessings,” a smiling Gail Burke said with poodle-mix Annie, 9, in her lap before the service.
About 40 people, many with pets or photos of pets either home or being remembered, and some attendees with toy stuffed animals, turned out. Woolwich’s James Nelon brought photos of Oreo the dog and Nelon’s late cat, Shadow.
The church adapted the usual weekly wording to say “hands, paws and fins” and “words, barks and meows”; and, in the usual invitation to stand if able, Fitterling drew some chuckles when he added people could stand if able given they had their pets with them.
He said they could move about informally including visiting the watering area set up. It was the church’s second year blessing animals but the first time it was part of the service, Fitterling said in an interview. Last year’s blessing was in the afternoon; joining it with the service this time helped the whole congregation be there for it, he said.
Meeting with each pet owner and their pet, photo, or both, Fitterling placed a hand on the pet or photo as he blessed it. “Sandy’ll take all the help she can get,” Wiscasset’s Sky Wentworth said laughing as man and goldendoodle neared Fitterling. Sandy moved swiftly about and Fitterling did, too, successfully placing his hand for the blessing.
The service also garnered donations for Midcoast Humane.
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