Blessing “all creatures great and small” was the purpose of a special event Saturday at Saint David’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church in Cranston.

The church held its first-ever “Petapalooza,” an event that offered blessings to pets throughout the day and also featured a vendor fair where guests could shop for their furry (or scaly) best buddies.

Church Senior Warden Bob Souza said the Petapalooza was a success, providing fun for participants while raising money for the parish and its ministries. A portion of the proceeds will also be donated to an animal shelter impacted by recent devastating hurricanes in the South.

“This was our first major community event since before COVID, and it was a huge success,” Souza said. “Saint David’s has always been known for its annual Blessing of the Pets, so to couple it with a pet-focused vendor fair seemed like a perfect idea. The parishioners were on board immediately, and everyone worked hard for the past six months to prepare. We can’t wait to do this again next year.”

Father Ed Beaudreau agreed, noting that connecting with people in the community was an extra special part of the day. “We had many of our neighbors come by, and the Cranston Animal Shelter was here too,” he said. “People toured the church, had their pets blessed, had some lunch and entered the raffle. We had people socializing with each other and talking with our parishioners. It was a great day.”

More information on the church is available at its website, stdavidscranston.org, as well as the church Facebook page:  facebook.com/StDavidsontheHill.