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Reverend Randy Beeman bestows a blessing on Topper, now deaf, who was adopted from an Iraq Two Races, war veteran by Dawn Two Races, and Steve Dailey of Vienna. Topper Four Candidates knows sign language. News, Page 3 Maplewood Grill Continues Fine Dining Tradition News, Page 4

Photo by Donna Manz/The Connection

www.ConnectionNewspapers.comJune 5-11, 2013 online at Vienna/Oaktonwww.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ June 5-11, 2013 ❖ 1 News

The blessed animals and the humans who love them gather for a photo after the blessing program. Reverend Randy Beeman started the blessing of the ani- mals ceremony when he came to Antioch Christian Church three years ago.

Photos by Donna Manz/ The Connection Animals Blessed in Vienna

said. “We tell funny stories about them. They’ve been Antioch Christian Church with us through everything.” holds its third annual The blessings program began with a welcome from Antioch volunteer Shirley Elliott, who greeted Pal, a Chihuahua/fox terrier mix, had a “hard year” blessing for family pets. guests—human and canine—and hosted the gift physically, said his guardian, Jennifer Claussen of Reston. table. Rev. Beeman offered a prayer for the pets and their families and led the guests in a song dedicated By Donna Manz to “all creatures.” After a reading of Psalm 104:10- The Connection 25, Beeman invited each guardian and pet to come up for an individual blessing. Guardians repeated a ntioch Christian Church, the quaint white commitment vow, a pledge to care for the pet en- clapboard church on Beulah Road, hosted trusted to the guardian. When all the pets had been Aits third annual pet blessing on June 2 and blessed, Beeman closed with a blessing prayer, whose pet parents came from throughout the words included, “We ask you, Lord, that we may be area to have their pets blessed by Antioch’s pastor, good to our pets always, so that they may be happy Randy Beeman. Any family pet, of any species, was also. Help us always to take care of them so that welcome. they will be healthy.” While more than a dozen living dogs were each Elliott gave out the blessing cards and the medals. individually blessed by Rev. Beeman, some were Maybe, next year, they will accept donations that will blessed in memoriam or in absentia. The animals’ be sent to an animal rescue organization. For now, presence or lack of made little difference to the the church is happy to be providing a service to fami- people whose lives were enriched by a pet’s pres- lies touched by a pet’s companionship or by the ence in their lives. Participants chose little medals, memory of a beloved pet. offered at no charge, for their pets to wear on their “To us, they’re still alive,” said Daniel Dougherty, collars. Each pet was awarded a “certificate” that speaking of the pets who died in 1995 and 2008. symbolized that the pet had been specially blessed “We talk about them all the time.” Faith and Daniel Dougherty of Great Falls brought the “by the hands of God through Reverend Randy Faith Dougherty had a response for those who ques- remains of their two sheepdogs to be blessed. Daniel Beeman. This companion animal has been honored tion that animals have souls. “God wouldn’t have Doughery said the couple feels the dogs are still “alive” for the love and joy it has given.” And that is what created a living thing without a soul.” in their hearts. the pets’ guardians recognized. The stories behind the pets were sad, up