By A.M. Kelley
Catholic Herald
Priests take dogs to hearts, homes and work
SUPERIOR -- Most dogs are pretty lax on church attendance. But the truth is they're really only invited once a year -- for blessings on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
However, some dogs, by virtue of the company they keep, are closer to the sacraments than others. Whiskey is one of these lucky canines.
The 12-year-old Siberian husky lives (and works) with Fr. Bill Murphy at his parishes in Glenwood City, Hammond and Wilson. Whiskey's job description reads: duties as assigned. These include: exercising his owner and acting as a part-time pastoral assistant, albeit one who has to sit under the desk, listen without interruption and, of course, maintain complete confidentiality. What Whiskey hears, does not go any further. In some ways he's a typical rectory pet and a priest's best friend.
Ten years ago, Whiskey didn't have it so good. He was living in a dog pound, beyond the adorable puppy stage and therefore not high on the adoption list. When Murphy expressed an interest in him, the staff warned: this dog is "high maintenance."
A strong and energetic dog, Whiskey needed, minimum, two walks a day. And as it turned out, that's what Murphy needed too.
"I got him to be my athletic trainer," he said. "He gets me out twice a day. On my own I couldn't justify taking the time, getting out of the office twice a day for those 1/2 hour walks, but I have to take him."
But there's also a down side to being a priest, wearing black and having a housemate that sheds.
"He can really mess me up," Murphy said. "Once I was dressed real nice, waiting to do a wake and someone came up to me and said 'Father, the back of your suit is just covered with fur.'"
Embarrassing, yes, but easy to remedy with a hefty lint brush.
Fr. Jim Jackson in Park Falls also has a dog who's more than willing to take his priest for a walk every morning. He's Chief, a 9-year-old English springer spaniel. Jackson also had Chief's father and grandfather and bird-hunted with all three.
Chief has a pen outside, behind the rectory, where he stays during the day. He's a great retriever, but lacks Whiskey's under-the-rectory-desk counseling expertise, which is not to say that he's standoffish.
"At night he comes inside," Jackson said. "He's very sociable."
Another unordained assistant who works hard for his keep is Frosty Joe. The Maltese shares Fr. Bill Green's glass-enclosed office that occupies the back of Hayward's St. Joseph Church. Frosty Joe stays here while his owner says Mass.
At first the separation caused the little pup some distress. When Green greeted the congregation during Mass, "the Lord be with you," Frosty Joe thought that was also his cue to respond.
"He used to start squeaking when he heard my voice," he said.
But, in time, he learned to wait quietly and now is a valued part of Green's ministry.
"The kids love him and he loves the kids," Green said. "People like to see him, he's kind of an ice breaker. He's very gentle and goes around and greets people.
Many diocesan pets seem to be people lovers and have an aptitude for the work of their owners.
Tomahawk's Fr. John Anderson has a yellow male Labrador, 9-year-old Casey. He's "good company and somebody to talk to at night," according to Anderson, and also comforts rectory visitors.
"If they're dog lovers," Anderson said, "they like to sit and pet him."
Casey also attends weekday Masses at St. Mary Church. He stays in the sacristy and unabashedly naps during his master's sermons. He learned his manners in obedience school.
"It was good for both of us," Anderson said.
There are many friendly and sporting rectory pets. However, no one should object to awarding the toughest-canine-in-the-diocese prize to Ashland's Franciscan Fr. Frank Folino's dog. Her name is Agnes and the deceptively fragile-looking girl once chased a bear up a tree.
Sure there are fearless hounds bred for such tasks, but Agnes is a diminutive 8-pound Yorkshire terrier.
"She has no idea that she's small," Folino said.
Even at what he calls "boot camp" -- obedience classes -- Agnes hangs with the big dogs and is especially playful with a German shepherd.
A parishioner gave her to Folino. He had wanted a dog for quite awhile, but before moving to Ashland had not been able to keep one. Franciscan priests and brothers usually live together in friaries. And even though the order's founder and the patron saint of animals, St. Francis himself, would hardly disapprove of sharing a roof with a 4-legged creature of God, there are many Franciscans, according to Folino, as shocking as this sounds, who are "not animal people." And of course, some have legitimate allergies.
This scandalous revelation aside, there are many dog-loving priests who happily share their rectories with pets and Folino said there's often a big payoff.
"(Agnes) helps me a whole lot," he said. "She's just always there. If you have a terribly sad day, she just comes up and calms me down and loves me unconditionally. I try to learn from that."
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2006