DECATUR — When Ss. James and Patrick parishioner Jeanine Decker wanted her pets blessed on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4 she only had to drive to St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur. That's where Father Nick Husain, executive director of Spiritual Care and Mission Integration at St. Mary's, blessed a large number of pets at the Cancer Care Healing Garden.

Father Husain was happy to bless the animals. "Pets help enrich our lives and this annual blessing is an opportunity to acknowledge that special relationship we have with God's creatures," he says.

"We had a good turnout," says Jessica Michael, project manager in Community Relations at St. Mary's. "We had approximately 70 pets!"

Decker brought two of her Maltese dogs to St. Mary's: Andy, who is 10, and Alex, who has just turned 2. Andy and Alex are not only beloved pets but they also are certified therapy dogs that travel with Decker to St. John's Children's Hospital in Springfield. She also takes them to local nursing homes.

"I work with the group Pet Partners," she says. "I have a 14-year-old Maltese, Nick, who got me started with the therapy work. Nick is too frail now, so he can't go out anymore.

"I've been doing the pet therapy visits for about 12 years and it's been just wonderful. I think both the children and their parents enjoy the visits. It gives them a lift," she says. "It is really moving to see those children smile, even if they are in pain. I have a lot of stories from my visits, but sometimes it is difficult."

Decker says she used to have her dogs blessed by her former parish pastor, Father Jeff Grant, at a local animal shelter-sponsored event. Father Grant grew up on a farm and is now pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, where he has begun an annual tradition of blessing animals in the church parking lot after school on Oct. 4.

Decker believes that people like Father Grant and Father Husain who bless animals are special individuals. "My dogs are small, but I think the priests who bless them are animal lovers and they wouldn't care what size they were," she says. "I know at St. Mary's there were all shapes and sizes there — some of them were really big dogs. You can really tell when they like the pets. It was nice of this priest to bless each one individually."

At the St. Mary's blessing, donations of dog and cat food were collected to donate to Catholic Charities to give to the community. Pet treats were donated by Millie and Bo's Bakery. The Millikin University flute choir provided music for the event.