Green Tree church to hold pet remembrance service
A Green Tree church is inviting those who have lost a pet to have their departed animal included in a remembrance service on Nov. 1.
The service will be held at 11 a.m. at Unity Presbyterian Church at 1146 Greentree Road. The service will be led by Pastor Karen Claassen.
Carolyn Kozlowski, the director of Unity’s Creatures of the Creator Pet Ministry, said this will be the seventh remembrance service held at the church.
“We incorporate a lot of unique elements in our service because the overarching purpose of it is just to honor the pets that people have lost,” Kozlowski said. “It’s a full-blown worship service, an hour long. It has a lot of music and we read poetry during the service.”
The Creatures of the Creator Pet Ministry itself began in 2018.
“Our mission at the pet ministry is to advocate for all of God’s creatures and to provide services,” Kozlowski said.
Through the ministry the church holds many events in addition to the remembrance service, including monthly donation drives for local animal rescue groups.
“They’re the smaller groups that don’t get the exposure that the larger shelters get,” Kozlowski said.
Part of the remembrance service will be a naming ceremony, where those who have registered will have their pets’ names read aloud as they step forward to light a candle for their deceased furry family member.
“We have the animal’s picture displayed on a slideshow. Then they get a free memorial token as well,” Kozlowski said.
Attending the service will be Carnegie-based artist Bernadette Kazmarski, who will be taking orders for customized votives, a suncatcher or a memorial photo of pets.
A luncheon will follow the service.
Those interested in having their pets included in the service must register no later than Oct. 27. They should email their names, contact information, the name of their pet, and photos of their pet to ckozlowski@unitypresbyterianchurch.org.