St. Francis, picture by John August Swanson

We don’t believe in reincarnation, but my husband and I often joke that when we die we want to come back as one of his sister’s dogs. She just treats them so well–they ride in her car, sleep on her couch, get long walks every day and tons of affection (not to mention a regular diet of yummy treats). What a life!

In return, of course, her pets provide steadfast love, unwavering loyalty, and companionship without preconditions. Oh, and a few sloppy kisses now and then.

Saturday, October 4, is the day that the Episcopal Church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi, another venerable friend of animals. It has become a tradition in many churches to celebrate his feast day by having Animal Blessings. One of the best known is in New York City, at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, famous for its…

When this blog began several weeks ago, many of the contributors made reference to the Pew research study that reported that “more than one-quarter of American adults (28%) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion - or no religion at all.” I’m not sure if any of the other contributors to this blog count themselves in that 28 percent, but I do.

And maybe it is because I made the leap from one denomination to another that I feel so moved to explain what I love about my church. (Converts are notoriously obnoxious about this stuff!) In my last post I promised to discuss more about my own personal sense of Anglican identity, so here goes.

I am an Episcopalian by personal choice and through the grace of God. My family of origin, as well as my husband’s family, are all Roman Catholic; I can’t emphasize enough the…