St. Rita Catholic School Holds Blessing of the Pets in Honor of Lila’s Light

Comment A variety of pawed and clawed friends gathered to receive a special blessing on Oct. 8 at St. Rita Catholic School. The Blessing of the Pets, which celebrates the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, was held for the second time in honor of Lila’s Light. In addition to pups both big and small, attendees at the blessing included one hermit crab named Timiscus and two very well-fed guinea pigs. Human guests were treated to ice cream, while their four-legged companions enjoyed pup cups — whipped cream with a bone-shaped treat. All proceeds from the event benefitted Lila’s Light, a foundation that works to keep children from harm and protect animals from disaster and crises. It carries on the light of Lila Bonner, a little girl who loved all creatures and lost her life in July 2025’s Hill Country flooding. “It’s good to see this light still shining,” Fr. Joshua Whitfield, pastor of St. Rita Catholic Community, said before leading the tail-wagging gathering in a prayer. “I hope we do this every year.” Lila’s family and their two dogs, Violet and Lovey, attended the blessing. Her cousins are students at St. Rita, which also lost two young girls, Blair and Brooke Harber, in the catastrophe. Some of the guests at St. Rita on Oct. 8 could be heard barking along during Fr. Whitfield’s prayer. He then blessed all the pets with holy water. “I’m going to soak your animals,” Fr. Whitfield said to laughter from his human listeners before saying a Hail Mary for Lila Bonner. View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery View Gallery Advertisement More Schools View All Schools Imagination Space Honors Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence By Sarah Hodges Schools Scout Brings Shared-Ride Waiting Station to Juliette Fowler Communities By Josh Hickman Schools Hockaday, Greenhill Students Bring STEM to Community By Rachel Snyder St. Rita Catholic School Holds Blessing of the Pets in Honor of Lila’s Light {{ oneIndex }} / {{ images.length }} Advertisement Related Content Author Sarah Hodges View Profile Sarah Hodges is editor of People Newspapers. She wrote for The Kansas City Star , served in the Peace Corps, worked as a law firm associate, and spent more than a decade caring for her children as a stay-at-home parent prior to joining Park Cities People as managing editor in 2024. In her spare time, you can find her running, either around the neighborhood or to various kid activities. PHN