Pets get blessing at New Utrecht Reformed Church

September 8, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Emanuela DeJesus brought five-month-old Rocky to the pet blessing event at the church on Saturday.

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The dogs were at their best behavior as they wandered around the front lawn of the New Utrecht Reformed Church on Saturday afternoon, almost as if they knew they were on church grounds. Not one dog barked.

Dog owners brought their pet pooches to the historic old church, located on 18th Avenue and 84th Street in Bensonhurst, for a special “Blessing of the Animals” event on Sept. 5.

“It can’t hurt, right?” said Jimmy Gheida, who was there with Woody, his four-year-old Doberman pinscher. Woody was a peaceful pooch, although Gheida had to admonish him for munching on the grass.

Emanuela DeJesus brought three dogs to be blessed.”It’s nice of the church to do this,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle.

The Rev. E.J. Emerson, a guest pastor at the church, performed the blessing on the church’s front lawn, wishing the animals and their owners happiness and good health.

“God gives us animals as a gift. If you think about it, animals symbolize what God gives us: total and complete forgiveness and unconditional love. The way your pet loves you, that’s exactly the way God loves you,” she told the Eagle.

All types of animals would have been welcome to the blessing, but only dog owners showed up, according to Susan Hanyen, a leader of the church’s congregation. “It was only dogs today, but that’s okay,” she said. “Maybe next time, people will bring their cats.”

St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic saint who was born in the 12th Century, was known for his love of animals. Emerson said people today of all religions can learn from his example by being kind to animals.

The New Utrecht Reformed Church is one of the oldest established churches in Brooklyn. Established in 1677, the church building was originally located on what is now 16th Avenue and 84th Street. In 1828, a new church was constructed at the present site; 18th Avenue and 84th Street. The foundation of the “new” building contains stones from the original church.

Built in Gothic Revival style, the church was declared a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The church grounds contain a Parish House, built in 1892 that contains a Tiffany stained glass window. On the grounds, there is also a replica of a Liberty Pole. Liberty Poles were erected all over the original 13 colonies at the end of the Revolutionary War to celebrate the U.S. defeat of the British. The current Liberty Pole is the sixth to be built at the site, according to the church’s website.

The pet blessing wasn’t the only event taking place at the church on Saturday. Congregation members also held a bake sale on the front lawn featuring homemade goods, and a jewelry sale in the Parish House.