Creating a 'formal' rite of loss of our furry companions.
From Columbus: Liturgy for 'person's best friend' consideredBy Pat McCaughan Friday, June 16, 2006 (e-mailed to us by Farmer Gwen Charbrun).
[Episcopal News Service] The dog didn't offer expert testimony but his brief presence during an early Friday hearing of the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music Committee served as witness to the need to create a rite for loss of a companion animal (D041).
"Our animal companions provide a unique connection to creation and expand our sense of God's diverse gifts in creation. In many cases they also join us as partners in ministry, in such capacities as assistance animals, i.e. Seeing Eye dogs, etc. as well as therapy dogs and cats used in health care facilities and for pastoral care," according to the resolution, authored by the Rev. Lee Shaw of Utah.
The resolution asks the 75th General Convention to direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to develop the rite for inclusion in the next edition of the "Book of Occasional Services" and to report its work to the 2009 Convention to be held in Anaheim, California.
"People grieve the death of an animal the same way they grieve the death of a parent. We need a liturgy to make that biblical passage. It's a matter of pastoral responsibility for what, in many people's lives, is one of the most important and painful moments to go through," said the Rev. Stephanie Speller from Boston, Massachusetts.
-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is senior correspondent for ENS and serves as associate rector at St. Mary's Church in Laguna Beach
[Episcopal News Service] The dog didn't offer expert testimony but his brief presence during an early Friday hearing of the Prayer Book, Liturgy and Music Committee served as witness to the need to create a rite for loss of a companion animal (D041).
"Our animal companions provide a unique connection to creation and expand our sense of God's diverse gifts in creation. In many cases they also join us as partners in ministry, in such capacities as assistance animals, i.e. Seeing Eye dogs, etc. as well as therapy dogs and cats used in health care facilities and for pastoral care," according to the resolution, authored by the Rev. Lee Shaw of Utah.
The resolution asks the 75th General Convention to direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to develop the rite for inclusion in the next edition of the "Book of Occasional Services" and to report its work to the 2009 Convention to be held in Anaheim, California.
"People grieve the death of an animal the same way they grieve the death of a parent. We need a liturgy to make that biblical passage. It's a matter of pastoral responsibility for what, in many people's lives, is one of the most important and painful moments to go through," said the Rev. Stephanie Speller from Boston, Massachusetts.
-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is senior correspondent for ENS and serves as associate rector at St. Mary's Church in Laguna Beach
posted by Joanna Depue | 1:10 AM
2 Comments:
There are days that I do not know if I miss my Mother or my first dog the most. Grief is a reality and the longer we get to stay in this mortal coil the more it shapes who we are and how we see life and liberty.
Fran Malone
I think this is an excellent idea. Just a scant year ago I used the service you provided in Almost Church when our beloved cat, Dinah died. Surely, you will be asked to assist in the preparation of this service!
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