Event takes place on Rogation Sunday

The only pets at the service were dogs, but other pets were included in the liturgy.
By SEAN BARRON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Since Anna, Daniel and Jennifer Liptak view Abbey as a blessing, it seems only befitting that the Boardman family would take their dog to be blessed.
"I think it's great because [animals] get all the attention," Jennifer, 7, said after the family pet received a blessing as part of Sunday's Liturgy for the Blessing of Animals at St. James Episcopal Church, 7640 Glenwood Ave.
Perhaps it's safe to say that, last week, a bit of divine intervention visited the Liptaks as they drove to the nearby Boardman branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. En route, a sign in front of the church mentioning the blessing caught the eye of 10-year-old Daniel Liptak, and the deal was sealed, he said.
Abbey, a 11/2-year-old cocker spaniel-poodle mix, was one of several dogs to be blessed at the half-hour event, sponsored by the church. Both youngsters said they were pleased with their first time at the blessing and plan to attend next year's.
Also among the canines was Sandy, a stray that Chris Belvedere of Poland took in last September.
Belvedere, a member of St. James, estimated her dog's age at 8 or 9 and said the pet has suffered from heartworm and a dislocated hip, resulting in its having one leg wrapped in a sling. The heartworm has cleared up, but health problems were part of why she brought Sandy, said Belvedere, adding that she was unsure of her dog's breed.
What took place
Around 25 people attended the program, which opened with a reading from the Book of Genesis as well as a poem from poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Conducting the blessing was the Rev. Kelly Marshall, rector of St. James.
Participants formed a semicircle on the church's front lawn and were greeted with perfect weather -- cloudless skies, temperatures in the mid-60s and low humidity. After the readings and a prayer, the Rev. Mr. Marshall had attendees state their pets' names and ages and give a brief description.
"[Sandy] needs many blessings. She's had a hard time," Belvedere said when her turn came.
Last year, St. James began having the blessing on Rogation Sunday, a day set aside to "thank God for creation and ask for blessings for crops and animals," explained Sharyn Fees, the church's communications coordinator. Previously, St. James had the event in the fall, Fees said.
Even though dogs were the only pets at Sunday's blessing, the liturgy also has included cats, doves, guinea pigs and turtles, she added.
"It's a simple liturgy. ... It's just a fun time," Mr. Marshall said.