“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” It is well intended, the blessing of Pastoor Camiel van Lamoen. But the main people themselves see it less in Eersel on Saturday afternoon. Dog Moor should not have anything about the water, scares the holy water brush and dives behind his owner. And turtle Joep starts to pee spontaneously.
The spots on his shield betray that the pastor has waved his wet holy water brush over Joep. Baasje Liesbeth has a good hold of the turtle. But then … a big jet pee. Joep is shocked by the blessing, Liesbeth van de Plas. “Oh, I was already afraid of that.”
“Joep, you’re blessed, you’ve kept it up for a long time.”
On Dierendag, the Eerselse Pastoor Camiel van Lamoen takes the time to bless pets. Liesbeth and Joep have been together for a lifetime. “Joep is actually a female. I have had it for 66 years. He is over 100, I don’t know exactly,” says owner Liesbeth. “Joep means quite a lot for me. Memories of my parents and earlier at home. I hope that the blessing will ensure that he will stay for a while.” Pastor Van Lamoen: “Joep, you are blessed, you’ve been lasting for a long time.”
Furthermore, it is mainly dogs that get the holy water brush of Lamoen over him. Moor (8) should clearly have nothing of it and dives behind owner Diny Jacobs. “She doesn’t always listen well, so maybe blessing helps,” laughs Diny. “We walk a lot and she is always on my knee in the evening. I just have a friendship with that dog.”
“We need each other and his friends, that’s why I like to bless the animals.”
Pastor van Lamoen finds it logical that he is waving at the Kempen Museum with the Wet Waterkerkast this Saturday. “People and animals belong together,” he says.
“We need each other and his friends, that’s why I like to bless the animals. That they can have a good and happy life. But also that we take good care of it, because they also give us a lot back,” he says as a dog Saartje appears for him. “I will not make it too wet, otherwise it will be shocked. In the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. That you may be a blessed animal.”
Mien Schilders also came to the blessing with Tygo (12). The Cockerspaniel is one of the few dogs that stays calm under the holy water drops. “He has to be under anesthesia in two weeks, tartar must be removed. I find it a bit exciting,” says Mien about one of the reasons for her visit to the pastor. “Tygo is my everything. I hope he can last for a long time. Maybe this blessing can mean something.”
