Mass. church to offer monthly worship services for dogs, and barking will not be banned

AP/KFSM ^ | 3:05 PM CDT, May 5, 2010

[FourPeas]

By Associated Press

DANVERS, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts church is scheduled to launch a new monthly worship service — for dogs. Calvary Episcopal Church will offer later this month its first "Perfect Paws Pet Ministry" aimed at giving area pooches and their owners improved odds at getting canines into heaven. The Danvers church plans to hold the service on the third Sunday of every month, complete with communion for the humans and special blessings for pets. Dogs will get special treats.

Church officials said well-mannered, leashed dogs are invited. People can submit a paper prayer if their pets are sick, not good around other dogs or deceased. Prayers can also be offered for other types of pets.

Rev. Thea Keith-Lucas told The Salem News dogs will have a say during service because barking won't be banned.

[camerongood210]

What has happened to my country?

[all the best]

It has truly gone to the dogs. No joke.

[RangerM]

How will they tithe, or should I ask?

[Frantzie]

I would rather go to church with dogs than liberal Episcopalians or liberal Catholics or liberal anything. Many dogs have more virtue than a lot of people.

[Alex Murphy]

At least it’s not a pentecostal church. All of the dogs would start barking in tongues!

[allmost]

The owners pay the church in the belief that their dogs go to heaven. Lots of upkeep when everything is ‘marked’.

[Kartographer]

All dogs go to heaven, it's the owners that need to worry!

[irishtenor]

Meow!

[FourPeas]

OK, so this is a Buddhist dog. Apparently the Episcopals don't want to be left out on the lucrative dog religion sector.

[Walrus]

Dogs cannot have virtue.

[CaliforniaCon]

woof!

[JoeFromSidney]

Years ago I was a visiting scholar at University of Sao Paolo in Brazil. One Sunday one of my colleagues took me to the Cathedral for Mass (I'd been going to a church near my apartment). I was flabbergasted to see an elderly woman bring her dog into the church. It was a small one, and she kept it on her lap throughout Mass. It didn't bark, so if I hadn't seen it, I'd never have known it was there. I'd never heard of such a thing.

[FourPeas]

Sounds like we have a collection going (lol). Buddhists, Roman Catholics, Episcopals, and now Presbyterians, too.

[Tax-chick]

My pastor has a dog. He shuts her in the office wing during Mass, but sometimes the door gets opened and she turns up snuffling up the aisles.

[ravenwolf]

I figured they were a bunch of false teachers, now i know.

[LouAvul]

Well, Mark 16:16 does say, "......preach the gospel to every creature."

I'd just never heard of anybody who interpreted it literally.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Surely this report is a joke!

[vpintheak]

Liberal leciferian insanity has corrupted this “church” It’s not even funny.

[JoeProBono]