San Antoni animal blessings
January 17 is the official day when San Antoni (Saint Anthony) is celebrated and as he is the patron saint of animals, each year animals and pets all over the region are blessed by priests during the traditional San Antón celebrations that take place.
Some towns celebrate the weekend before and others wait for the weekend just after.
Here is a round up of some of the weekend's events.
APASA dogs count their blessings
By Jack Troughton The annual blessing of rescued dogs at the APASA shelter in Javea was again attended by scores of the animal charity’s supporters and their pets.
The association takes its name from the patron saint of animals – the Asociacion Protectora de Animales de San Antonio – and once again it was party time.
Minister Klaus Eicher, from Denia’s Evangelische Kirch Deutschland Costa Blanca, performed the formal part of the day and was introduced to many of the canines currently in residence.
He was also blessed the pets brought to the event by proud owners; many of them are dogs adopted from APASA over the years.
And charity president Mandy Conway was delighted at the turn out. “There are lots of people here and lots of support for us. We even have the voluntary firemen from Balcon Al Mat; their commandant Terry now works in the APASA office; they always help us out with are events and provide our first aid cover.”
Mandy said there were currently 180 dogs being cared for by APASA – and the charity will celebrate its 20th anniversary next month.
Calpe town blesses animals
By David Stockton On Sunday, blessed with blue skies and a very pleasant 18 degrees centigrade, many people turned up to have their pets blessed. All types of dogs, some cats, birds, tortoises and 14 horses arrived at La Merced Church Calpe for the blessings at 12.30pm.
Snacks were provided for the riders and horses and all enjoyed a lovely morning.
Benidorm
By Irena Bodnarec The fiesta of Sant Antoni, the Patron Saint of Animals was celebrated across the whole of Spain last Sunday.
The Ermita de Sanz, located directly behind the El Cisne rastro in Benidorm was one of many places and saw around 300 turn out to attend a special service, conducted in a marque beside the small church followed by the outdoor animal blessing.
The mayor Toni Perez attended – helping to hand out the traditional blessed bread to each owner, along with a number of councillors and all the fiesta queens.
Dogs by far outnumbered any other animals, but there were also cats, hamsters, rabbits, budgies, a tortoise and some horses, who patiently waited till the end.
See full report and more photographs by Irena on page 53.
Akira Dog Sanctuary
By Ann Perry Last Sunday, January 20, local priest D. Salvador Cebollo from Benissa came to bless all the dogs in the Sanctuary.
Akira staff were aided by volunteers who helped bring the dogs out to the car park for each of them to have their blessing in turn. Not all of the dogs are able to leave the shelter, so the Priest entered the shelter to bless those that could not come outside. Approximately fifty people were at the event.
The Sanctuary houses approximately 60 dogs at the shelter.
Akira Sanctuary is in Benissa at Poligono La Pedrera, on the N332. Facebook - Akira Benissa Dog Sanctuary
Website: www.akira-animals. com or telephone: 657 689 567
St Anthony brings animal magic to Javea
By Jack Troughton The annual celebration of Sant Antoni - the patron saint of animals – is a picture opportunity as creatures great and small step into the spotlight.
In many Spanish towns there are separate blessing for larger beasts – traditionally it was a holiday for working animals – and domestic pets.
In the shadow of the headland Cap de Sant Antoni in Javea, the ‘Fisherman’s Church’ always stages a procession after mass with the priest of the parish church leading the statue of the saint himself carried on the shoulders of member of the Penya La Burrera Sant Antoni and its band.
And by the waterfront of Javea port, people queue to have their pets blessed – while members of the ‘penya’ end the procession by also enjoying a splash of holy water.
La Nucia
Celebrating San Antoni last Sunday, the traditional animal blessings took place at the parish church Purísima Concepción de La Nucía in the main square of the town at 12 noon. La Nucia always celebrates this event on the weeclosetst to January 17.
Dogs, cats, birds and, hamsters amongst other pets received a blessing from the local priest Don Juan Manuel Cortés.