Saint John’s has had a small number of outdoor resident cats for many years. Loyal parishioners care for them daily and shelter from the cold winter and hot summers is found in our protected courtyard. Our cats have been spayed or neutered and the population remains steady at around a half dozen. Each has a name and one in particular, Snowy, greets parishioners at our back door with a sweet purr or gentle meow. Snowy’s elderly owner, our next door neighbor, passed away a few years. Alone and homeless she adopted us as her forever home. She must have known that St John’s parishioners model themselves after Christ’s compassion for all of God’s creation. On the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct 4th), the church holds its annual Blessing of the Animals in the court yard. Our resident cats look on with amusement as the parade of dogs, other cats, birds and turtles come to visit their court yard!
