Would this bother you?

[susanna]

I sometimes attend a local OF church, and two times now a man has brought his dog in with him, taken it up with him to communion, takes the cup.  Doesn't seem to bother anyone.  I don't think I can go back there, but am sad because it's a pretty church and I can walk to it.  (My Byzantine priest has been ill and weekday divine liturgies have been cancelled.)  Would you be upset by this?  Thanks. 

[Shin]

Pardon me, are you're saying the man takes the cup?

Dogs and other animals don't belong in the church. That would be wrong yes.

[susanna]

Sorry I meant he drinks the precious blood, so he's there for a minute with the dog and you kind of have to go around it. 

[Shin]

Thanks for clarifying Susanna. 

These are very difficult times!

[Shin]

People nowadays very often don't appreciate the distinction between the sacred and the profane, and the very basics needed to protect the Holy Eucharist from profanation.

Very troublesome times!

You are very blessed to have a Byzantine parish to go to normally I am thinking! I pray your priest's health improves!

[Patricia]

Maybe the man needs the dog for some reason, not sure. Maybe a disability? I guess it would bother me though to have a dog in church especially in this country. In India the doors are open from the outside and sometimes a stray dog would wander in during Mass, hang around and then walk out.  Or we would have birds flying in disoriented and fly out again.    Mass would go on as usual.

[odhiambo]

It would definitely bother me . I tried to find out if there is anything official on the issue but drew a blank.
Here is an excerpt from an article I found on line. It is from " World on Campus", the article entitled "Animal lovers push to bring dogs to church",  was written on February 8, 2012 by a Meghan Gilmore. Here is what she writes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in Mission, Tex., recently made national news when it was featured in a USA Today article about its priest's support for dogs in mass. Father Roy Snipes told the paper that the presence of dogs eliminates the "rigid and frigid" feelings that are sometimes associated with a first-time visit to church. Snipes, who first brought his dogs to mass in 1985 scoffed at suggestions that including animals in worship was a "new age" phenomenon. When Jesus was born in a stable, animals gathered all around the manger, Snipes said.

[odhiambo]

Note that it was the priest himself who brought the dog and was defending doing so!

[Bailey2]

Service dog in training?  We had one at our church for a while.  Oh, you are talking about one of those pocket dogs?  We had a big one with the service dog "jacket" on. 

[susanna]

The man didn't appear to have any disabilities, just a very casual attitude, and it didn't look like a service dog, just looked like a mutt. 
 You can't take a dog into a restaurant or most public places, yet he brought it to holy (?) Mass twice, that I saw.   
This bothered me so much that I will never go back there.   

[pebbles]

It would definitely bother me . I tried to find out if there is anything official on the issue but drew a blank.
Here is an excerpt from an article I found on line. It is from " World on Campus", the article entitled "Animal lovers push to bring dogs to church",  was written on February 8, 2012 by a Meghan Gilmore. Here is what she writes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in Mission, Tex., recently made national news when it was featured in a USA Today article about its priest's support for dogs in mass. Father Roy Snipes told the paper that the presence of dogs eliminates the "rigid and frigid" feelings that are sometimes associated with a first-time visit to church. Snipes, who first brought his dogs to mass in 1985 scoffed at suggestions that including animals in worship was a "new age" phenomenon. When Jesus was born in a stable, animals gathered all around the manger, Snipes said.

This bothers me.  How can a priest say our mass is "rigid and frigid"? That is not the way to advertise our mass.  Our mass is not RIGID just because we follow a FORM.  Our mass is not FRIGID because it is about CHRIST who gives us LIFE in the Eucharist.  That priest must be the rigid and frigid one.   

A dog is an animal.  It is not proper for it to be in Church during mass.  Unless it's there because the person has disability. 

Animal rights is for them not to be treated cruelly by people.  It doesn't mean they have equal rights to human beings...DUH...

[Shin]

An ardent defense of the holy churches! 

However you're more lax than me Pebbles, I think that's what ushers are for -- helping the people with the disabilities, while the disability animals wait outside. 

What are people for if not helping people?

Especially in such a place as a church? 

[pebbles]

Well, Shin, I was thinking of a Western scenario.    We don't have such things (dog helpers) in the Philippines (I think    )  And since we have crowded mass services, I don't think the person sitting beside a person who brings a dog along will appreciate it   

[Bailey2]

Dogs, cats, gerbils, any animal does NOT belong at mass except perhaps a service dog-- in a spot set aside for wheel chairs and the like (we have those spaces set up in our church. 

[Poche]

It would definitely bother me . I tried to find out if there is anything official on the issue but drew a blank.
Here is an excerpt from an article I found on line. It is from " World on Campus", the article entitled "Animal lovers push to bring dogs to church",  was written on February 8, 2012 by a Meghan Gilmore. Here is what she writes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in Mission, Tex., recently made national news when it was featured in a USA Today article about its priest's support for dogs in mass. Father Roy Snipes told the paper that the presence of dogs eliminates the "rigid and frigid" feelings that are sometimes associated with a first-time visit to church. Snipes, who first brought his dogs to mass in 1985 scoffed at suggestions that including animals in worship was a "new age" phenomenon. When Jesus was born in a stable, animals gathered all around the manger, Snipes said.

I wonder what his bishop said?

[odhiambo]

It would definitely bother me . I tried to find out if there is anything official on the issue but drew a blank.
Here is an excerpt from an article I found on line. It is from " World on Campus", the article entitled "Animal lovers push to bring dogs to church",  was written on February 8, 2012 by a Meghan Gilmore. Here is what she writes.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in Mission, Tex., recently made national news when it was featured in a USA Today article about its priest's support for dogs in mass. Father Roy Snipes told the paper that the presence of dogs eliminates the "rigid and frigid" feelings that are sometimes associated with a first-time visit to church. Snipes, who first brought his dogs to mass in 1985 scoffed at suggestions that including animals in worship was a "new age" phenomenon. When Jesus was born in a stable, animals gathered all around the manger, Snipes said.

I wonder what his bishop said?

Yes, I wonder too,  unfortunately the article did not mention anything about it.