Nancy Gibbony, Michael Knox and Lucy, Trudy Cassada’s pet sproodle, attend a pet blessing event at Duncansville Evangelical Lutheran Church on Sunday. Mirror photo by Conner Goetz

DUNCANSVILLE — As the Rev. Tiffany Marvich read from Genesis 1:24-25, the yips and barks from a chorus of assembled dogs filled the air, a fitting accompaniment for Duncansville Evangelical Lutheran Church’s pet blessing event held on Sunday afternoon.

The church holds the event every year near Oct. 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

According to an article on uscatholic.org, St. Francis believed every creature on the earth was sacred and worthy of love.

The tradition of pet blessings began with early Christians, who were very close to the earth and nature. They depended on their animals for their livelihood in a lot of cases, so they wanted to make sure they had the full blessing and favor of God to have long and fruitful lives.

“Genesis is the story of creation, the creation of the animals where God said it was good,” Marvich said. “So we know with pets what a joy they are, they bring us companionship and that they are good.”

After reading the Bible passage, Marvich gave each of the 10 or so dogs in attendance an individual blessing followed by a treat.

“We really trust that all creation, pets and animals, are loved, and want to bless them as well at least once a year,” she said.

Duncansville Evangelical Lutheran is an intentionally pet-friendly church, according to church council President Derek Detrich.

The church has run a “pet pantry” — the All Creation Pet Pantry — for several years, where local animal owners can pick up no-cost pet food, which has become increasingly popular, Detrich said.

As part of the event, the church was accepting donations for its pantry to support local families in need. The ministry has already helped provide supplies to more than 500 pets across Blair County, ensuring that beloved animals remain with the people who love them.

“We don’t want people to have to choose between getting their medication or pet food,” he said, noting that “pets are crucial to everyone’s mental health here.”

Church council treasurer Chris Scordo brought his two labrador retrievers, Rowan and Sully, to the blessing, saying that it’s “the best that they can be in God’s eyes.”

More than a dozen pet owners brought their dogs to the blessing, representing a wide variety of breeds. It was a rather large drop in attendance in comparison to last year, as more than 40 pets were blessed in 2024, according to Marvich.

Debbie and Lee Slippy brought Emmy, their 6-year-old goldendoodle.

“(It’s important) so they can make it through life knowing that God is watching over them and is going to take care of them,” Debbie Slippy said. “We thought we would go get her blessed to make sure we can have her for a long time because we love her.”

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.