Kind-Hearted Priest Brings Stray Dogs To His Services So They Can Find New Homes

Oct 29, 2019 by apost team

It might seem hard to believe, but there are homeless dogs in Brazil who regularly attend church so that they can find places to live. These dogs haven't found religion, but you can still meet these dogs each Sunday at the parish of Sant'Ana in Gravata.

Father Joao Paulo Araujo Gomes brings these wayward dogs into his parish every week. He finds stray dogs in the vicinity of his church and invites them to come to mass and meet parishioners who might take them in as new family members. With the opportunity to meet some furry friends, it makes going to church more appealing. This is great for people and pets because they bring unconditional love, laughter, and memories into our lives while we provide them with their basic needs for survival.

Even if you're not a religious person, you can't deny the benefit of the work that Father Joao Paulo is doing. When the church is not in service, Father Joao Paulo provides room in his rectory for dogs so that they're safe from the dangers out on the streets. He takes them out of the rectory and brings them into the chapel when services are being conducted. He places the dogs in a place where they're the center of attention so they're sure to get noticed. They also add some extra entertainment value to the service with their occasional antics.

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The dogs look loyal and honorable when they're sitting in front of the altar, but they always appreciate some affection and petting. Sometimes they approach the priest during the service to get some attention, and Father Joao Paula always obliges. 

The padre explains that the dogs will always have a place at the church where they can find shelter and sustenance because they are creatures of God, and the church is the house of God. In addition to having the dogs as guests during services, the priest also engages in other methods to help the neighborhood dogs.

He encourages people in the parish to join his mission to reach out to people who might be willing to adopt the homeless pups. The actions of the priest and his church are a good example to raise efforts throughout all of Brazil. Many of these dogs that are rescued have been in cruel and neglected circumstances. They are urgently in need of help and care.

Father Joao Paulo has given the dogs a temporary shelter, but he has also provided them with love, food, and proper care. Many of the dogs are in need of medical treatments, and the priest does his best to need these needs as well. It's wonderful to see animals that are suffering recover and go on to live a healthy life. A little bit of kindness goes a long way.

Because of the actions of the priest and his parish, the number of homeless dogs in Gravata has gone down considerably. Many of the dogs are in permanent loving homes. Father Joao Paulo has adopted several of them himself. Three dogs are staying with him at his home. He considers them to be like children. They occasionally sleep in his bed. 

The charitable actions of the priest became well recognized when the images were displayed on Facebook. The pictures caused a lot of positive reactions and people have praised his efforts, calling him a true hero. At has been seen in other cases that animals are comfortable in church, and this is not the only time that dogs were honored during services.

Do you feel that dogs are appropriate for the sanctity of a Catholic mass? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and pass this article along to your dog-lover friends so they can get a kick out of this story.