Blessing meant for all God’s creations: Reverend

As far as Rev. Bill Thomas is concerned, God’s blessing is meant for all of us — big and small, two legs and four.

One of the ministers at St. John’s Stevensville United Church, Thomas took Sunday afternoon’s service outdoors at Crystal Beach Farmers’ Market, where people brought their pets for a special blessing.

“It’s just a recognition that pets are part of God’s creation,” Thomas said between a slow stream of cats and dogs brought to the blessing station set up in the parking lot of The Crystal Chandelier.

“God’s blessing is a blessing not only for us but all of creation.”

Thomas added the act also recognizes the important role pets play in people’s lives and the comfort they can bring.

Sunday’s event was organized by market manager Diana Williamson to tie in with the massively popular 2019 dog calendar contest, which had more than 1,300 entries.

While there weren’t all that many animal blessings — she said they’ll try it again next year in the warmer spring season — the calendars have been flying off the shelf. Williamson said this is likely due to 84 photos on the runner up page; people have been buying multiple copies just for the novelty of seeing a stampsized photo of their pooch on high-quality glossy paper.

“If they made it on the page, they’re picking them up as Christmas presents,” she said.

One woman, she said, was touched to see a photo of her dog, Blaze, a photo Williamson selected because she found it cute. It turns out Blaze died after the photo was submitted.

“It’s like a memento to his presence,” she said. “The outpouring of love for this thing is amazing.”

Advance orders can be done through email transfer at advancingcrystalbeach@gmail.com. People are asked to check the Advancing Crystal Beach Facebook page first to ensure they’re not sold out.

Calendars may also be sold at the market Sundays noon to 3 p.m. until Dec. 16, when the market at 3878 Erie Rd. closes until next spring.