No joke.  That was how one man addressed me today.  The ironic thing is that I had just given a sermon the week before about unintentionally communing Jerry, the church pug, and now a guy was telling me that I baptized his dog?  Church of the Beloved is definitely going to get the “whack job” stigma for sure.  But I honestly didn’t remember baptizing any dogs during my lifetime.  He clarified, “Yeah it was at the feast of St. Francis a couple years ago.”

“Ohhhhh,” I said, “The pet blessing!  I guess I did toss some holy water around.”

“Well, she’s with the Lord now.  I came home one day and she was lying dead on the floor.  Only nine years old.”

“I’m so sorry.”  I told him.  ”That’s tragic.”

“But we sure grateful for what you did for her.”  He said, and he meant it.  I think St. Francis would be proud.

This year his feast day lands on OCTOBER 4th.  We’ll be bapt… I mean, blessing not only dogs, but any other animals you might have around the house.