This year at his annual blessing of the animals (held in St Francis of Assisi's honour), Haitian immigrant Rev. Jean Beniste invited people to bring their pets to church.

"Bring your pet. Bring your dog and cat. I am a Haitian, and I am not going to eat them," he told the 60-strong crowd.

"I will bless them. I will embrace them. I will embrace you. I will make community with you."

It was the first of several laugh-triggering allusions Beniste and other speakers made in reference to Trump's 10 September allegation that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are "eating the pets of the people that live there".

Blessings not curses

While Trump's allegation and similar rumours spread like wildfire on social media, they were swiftly debunked. But Beniste says a problem remained.

The hostile rhetoric had a particularly negative effect on Haitians and other immigrants.

So those gathered at St Paul's Episcopalian Church joined together to turn one of Christianity's more light-hearted rituals — an annual blessing of animals — into an act of good-natured resistance.

The Blessing of the Animals is an early October rite observed by various Christian denominations.

Household pets and sometimes livestock come with their owners to receive a clerical blessing that acknowledges their importance to God.

This year St Paul's service was also about depicting an embattled immigrant group as worthy of trust and empowerment.

That reframing drew new participants who wanted to show solidarity, RNS News reports.

"This year the Blessing of Animals takes on a new, even prophetic, meaning" the Rt Rev. Robert Hirschfeld, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, wrote when he invited the whole diocese to participate.

"Our gathering of blessing, instead of cursing, can be seen as an act of resistance to a culture that is fomenting violence of thought, speech and action."

Transformational

Hirschfeld told those attending the blessing that the Church's response to the false allegations was like that of Jesus, who defies Herod in Luke 13 and keeps on blessing the people.

"This is a way of turning the energy of the world on its head" Hirschfeld said.

"Let's turn this into a blessing rather than continuing with the vitriol."

Source

• Religion News Service