Local priest blesses Shell Factory animals
BY ELLA NAYOR enayor@florida-weekly.com

Father Fritz Ligonde's is used to doling out blessings - to people that is.

But now he can add large, scaly alligators and gangly emus to his repertoire of prayer recipients.

In honor of the Catholic celebration of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4, the soft-spoken Catholic priest spent the morning sprinkling holy water on about 200 animals at the Shell Factory and Nature Park in North Fort Myers.

St. Francis, known as the patron saint of animals, is heralded for his love and compassion of all creatures - furry, feathered and otherwise.

Shell Factory staff welcomed the chance to honor their beloved domestic and exotic critters, including a zebra named Anne after Anne Curry from the Today Show in which she once appeared as a guest. A sick skunk named Noodles got a special blessing.

This is the second year the park invited clergy to observe the religious occasion. The event was open to the public to have their pets blessed as well.

"We believe in the spirituality of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi," said Alene Greto, the animal care manager for the Shell Factory.

Greto guided Ligonde who was wearing a long ivory robe with gold trim to the park's statue of St. Francis.

Ligonde, a priest at St. Francis Xavier Church in Fort Myers said he usually performs the ceremony at the church's school for the students.

"The animals need blessings too," Ligonde said. "They're a creation from God."

He first offered a blessing about the sacredness of God's creatures in front of St. Francis's statue. And almost on cue, as if being called to attention, animals including two bemused Emus and a rather attentive and large bull-dog sized rooster strutted over in their enclosures to seemingly listen to Ligonde.

After the blessing, Ligonde splashed holy water with a sprinkler from his brass pot on each animal. During the ritual the critters responses ranged from surprised to a bit nervous as the drops of holy water splashed on them.

Ligonde, himself looked amused as feathery creatures screeched at him and an about 11-foot alligator snoozed in some shallow water.

But squeals filled the humid air when Yolanda King - a baby goat named after the late Martin Luther King's daughter - was blessed. The furry little gal was born shortly before Ligonde had arrived.

And Noodles, the ailing skunk, seemed to welcome a special blessing. Noodles came to the park as a donation after his former owner apparently overfed him with dog food, staff said.

But with a sniff of his little pink nose and fortunately not a swish of striped tail Noodles seemed to relax a bit after his holy water treatment.

The Shell Factory and Nature Factory are designed to encourage education and compassion for animals. For more information, check out the Shell Factory at www. shellfactory.com.