PORTSMOUTH — Sunday’s service at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church was like a sunny day in the park, complete with four-legged friends.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, St. Mary’s has been holding its services in the great outdoors over the last several months. That included Sunday’s annual “Blessing of the Animals” Mass, held in honor of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.

Parishioners were invited to bring their pets — or even photographs and stuffed animals — for a blessing by the Rev. Jennifer Pedrick, the church’s rector. 

St. Mary’s, which is blessed with an abundance of picturesque property, started holding outdoor services as soon as Gov. Gina Raimondo allowed places of worship to reopen with limited capacity starting May 30.

“It’s gone so well,” said Rev. Pedrick. “We’ve actually grown — it’s amazing. We’re going to do it as long as we can. We’re building an outdoor shell, so we might even do Christmas Eve out here.”

Still, the church would like to get back inside for at least some services as soon as possible.

“As soon as it’s safe, we will have at least one service in (the parish house), when we know the ventilation passes the test and turns over five times an hour. We don’t have that test done yet, but we’re going to plan it so it will be safe,” she said.

Sunday’s Mass was held on the lawn just south of the chapel. Parishioners brought lawn chairs and blankets and kept a safe distance from others, while Rev. Pedrick wore a wireless mic so she could be heard clearly by all. Other participants in the service used traditional microphones, so the readings and music were also amplified.

Churchgoers also had the option of staying in their cars and listening to the service over FM radio — a divine drive-in of sorts. They could also receive Holy Communion from their vehicles.

Pets were blessed from a six-foot distance. People exiting and entering the lawn were asked to stay inside a pathway marked with yellow cones, and those leaving by car had to exit through the back of the property to keep everyone safe. 

“We’re just going to keep it going as long as we can. It’s actually lovely outside, and we feel we’ve made it totally safe,” said Rev. Pedrick, noting the bishop visited and was impressed by the setup.

‘The story of now’

During the worship service, Rev. Pedrick touched upon the fear and confusion caused by the pandemic. It shouldn’t be our only focus, she said.

“We’re put into this vineyard to tend it, to harvest God’s abundant, life-giving fruit,” she said. “So, acknowledging that we are in a vineyard right now, one where we do have a fair amount of fear — we’re masked up and socially distant. We’re watching too much news, and we’re worried about so many things. Given all that, let’s just remember that this is only part of the story of now.”

She asked parishioners to pause for a moment, look around and take everything in.

“Look around at the creatures some of you are holding. Hear the insects. Feel the air on your skin. Witness with reverence the grass, the breeze, the beauty of the sky and the clouds and the trees. Listen to the sounds of the other creatures, even those who are driving cars and flying planes. We are siblings with all of creation. We are created and loved and we are created to love. Love is the fullness of the story now.

“God is calling us to divine solidarity — to be in love with the world.”

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