I never thought I would see the day. Please tell me if I have been living in a cocoon all my life or what. Besides being assistant organist, I also do considerable volunteer maintenance work at our church and have been doing so in varying degrees for about 30 years. We are in an upper-middle-class very ethnically mixed neighborhood. Fortnunately, there are enough RCs in the vicinity to keep our parish viable.

I was touching up some paint in the choir loft this afternoon and looked down to see a casually-dressed, well-groomed middle-aged white man walk into the church with his small dog (terrier?) on a leash. He knelt down to pray with his dog next to him. I was stunned and not sure what to do. Then I decided to address the issue, partly out of courtesy to our custodian, because I did not want him to have to deal with it.

I quietly approached the gentleman and asked his pardon for interrupting his prayers and advised him that we do not allow dogs in the church (except for official assistance dogs). He and I must be from different planets, because I was obviously amazed and appalled that this was even happening, and he was incredulous as well - albeit from a different perspective. I told him that he was welcome to stay all afternoon, but that he must please tie his little dog up outside. Just for the record, it was a beautiful afternoon - about 76 and clear - and he did go ahead and tie up the dog just outside the door where he was praying in a shady spot.

So, is there something wrong with me or was this man out of bounds?

I happen to encounter one of our priests a few minutes later and told him what had happened and that it really freaked me out because it all seemed so strange - almost surreal. The priest seemed to take my side - as long as I was objecting only to the dog and not the gentleman himself. The priest also said that he found this rather exceptional.

Angels and ministers of grace defend us! --Hamlet