St. Philip's in the Hills Episcopal Church looked and sounded a little different on Sunday. In addition to human worshippers, the church's plaza was filled with all sorts of reptiles, birds and mammals.
Ferrets shared space with iguanas and parrots, tortoises and guinea pigs, and of course all shapes and sizes of cats and dogs.
It wasn't a re-enactment of Noah's Ark. Rather, it was a special service for the blessing of the animals, held annually at the church in what the Rev. John Kitagama says is one of the most popular services of the year.
Each of the animals was blessed individually in an important event for what many consider to be another member of the family.
"It's an opportunity to celebrate those relationships between people and their pets," Kitagama said.
Thomas Alexander, who sings in the choir, said the service was an unusual sight. "It was kind of really wild, lots of animals running around."
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Wild as it may be, the day carried a special meaning for some. Church member Julia Annas chatted with Miriam Pattison and met her friend's two cats — Rascal, enjoying a deep nap in Pattison's arms, and Dracula, who had staked a claim on a tree branch at the church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave.
"Blessing the animals shows that they're not things; they're part of the community," Annas said.
