April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
ST. CLARE'S, COLONIE
Therapy dogs help children relax at Liturgy of the Word
Therapy dogs help children relax at Liturgy of the Word
For about five years, Yogi the therapy dog has been visiting St. Clare's with his owner, Patrick Rowe, and his floppy-eared brother pup, Munson, who recently passed away at the age of 12.
The two labrador retrievers, certified through Therapy Dogs International, have been there to accompany kids attending the children's Liturgy of the Word.
When the Sunday-morning discussions are about to start after the opening prayer at Mass, Yogi heads into the chapel with two dozen children. It can be a brave step for kids as young as three to leave their parents and head off to learn on their own, but the dog's presence "helps the children get comfortable," said Nancy Volks, parish life director.
Jackson Majewski can attest to that. At eight, he says that he enjoys how cuddly the therapy dogs are -- and that he misses Munson.
"They make it a little more fun and relaxing," he said. Yogi flops down onto the classroom floor, surrounded by kids who even lean back against him while listening to the week's lesson. "They just calm you down when you're petting them or laying with them."
Working dogs
That is exactly the dogs' job, said Mr. Rowe, who got into therapy dog "ministry" a decade ago after his first chocolate lab, Bernie, had parvovirus. When Bernie recovered from the life-threatening viral disease, Mr. Rowe brought him to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany to visit people who had been praying for the pup ever since a friend who was a St. Peter's employee had alerted them to Bernie's condition.
"I found it was a calling," Mr. Rowe told The Evangelist. After getting his dogs certified, which involves a rigorous testing process, the dogs began visiting schools, hospitals and even hospice patients.
Children's Liturgy of the Word at St. Clare's has been a favorite stop.
"I get an inner peace with seeing how children react with the dogs," Mr. Rowe continued. "Not every child comes from a 'Brady Bunch' family. Maybe this is their only enjoyment for the whole week."
Mary Nicholson, coordinator for faith formation and youth ministry at St. Clare's, believes that therapy dogs make the children feel comfortable in church -- especially the students who have special needs like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects several children in the faith formation program.
Getting cozy
"I watch children who aren't comfortable go and sit next to the dogs. Then they can listen" to the children's Liturgy of the Word, she said.
During the half-hour sessions, kids from roughly kindergarten through sixth grade hear the Scripture readings and explanations at their own level and participate in activities related to the Gospel.
Yogi's sturdy support helps kids get into answering questions about faith: "They can talk while they are petting the dogs. There's a different feeling of love that the kids get when they are around the dogs."
Catechist Ann Egan (who is also circulation coordinator for The Evangelist) says the dog helps her to run the children's program, keeping the kids' attention on the catechists when, otherwise, they might wander off to different corners of the room.
"They can focus more if the dogs are around," said Mrs. Egan.
Yogi even pushes the children to be more responsible, she added: "If someone drops a crayon, the other kids make sure to pick it up before the dogs start chewing it."
Having a furry friend tag along for the children's Liturgy of the Word also "gives them respect," Mrs. Egan said. "When they know the dogs are there, they are more willing to come."
Even adults
The children return to Mass as the offertory collection is taken up, but the therapy dogs aren't done for the day: They have also attended social hours after Mass, giving the adults of the parish the opportunity to interact with them, too. Yogi and Munson found universal acceptance at St. Clare's. Mr. Rowe especially noted that older parishioners like to give Yogi treats stashed in bags attached to their walkers.
"It opens a conversation with people," he continued. "My ministry is to connect with people through dogs."
Eight-year-old Grace Majewski, Jackson's twin sister, said she likes having a therapy dog at church because of how soft he is.
Dogs "are fun to be around," she told The Evangelist, and their presence gives her a greater appreciation for her own dog, who is a black lab.
Missing Munson
When Munson died about a month ago, Mr. Rowe shared the difficult news with the children by bringing in stuffed animals that were chocolate labs.
He told the students that he had learned a lot from Munson, including "being non-judgmental, not caring what color people's hair is or if they wear glasses. It didn't matter; Munson just loved children unconditionally."
Mr. Rowe told the children that if they were ever feeling sad or as though they wanted to talk to "King Munson," as he was affectionately known, they should hug their new stuffed animal and whisper in its ear.
"Munson will listen to you if you have a bad day," he said.
The students miss Munson, but they are all glad Yogi is still with them on Sundays.
"Yogi can be really funny," Grace noted. "He's just so calm. He always stands up when we stand up. Sometimes he just walks all around.
"I wish that Munson was still alive, but we still have Yogi."[[In-content Ad]]
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