Toronto: A Dog Receives Holy Communion from a Woman Anglican Priest

_

Historic St. Peter's Anglican Church on Carlton Street, Toronto.
It was in this church that a dog received holy communion
from a woman Anglican priest
Photo courtesy: http://www.torontohistory.org/

It was the last Sunday of June, 2010. St. Peter's Anglican Church on Carlton Street is in downtown Toronto. Rev. Marguerite Rea, a woman Anglican priest, was officiating the Sunday morning service.

According to the Toronto Star, there was a first-timer church attendant who brought his dog to the church. While distributing holy communion, the stranger joined others in the line to receive the communion. Rev. Rea, as part of her welcoming gesture, spontaneously gave communion to the man as well as his accompanying dog.

One of the Anglican attendants took exception to this gesture and made a complaint to Rev. Rea and to the Anglican Diocesan headquarters in Toronto. He took it as an affront to the sacredness of the communion distribution ritual. As a protest, he also left his church.

Bishop Patrick Yu of York-Scarborough said: "I think the reverend was overcome by what I consider a misguided gesture of welcoming." He also mentioned, Rev. Rea expressed her apology for the incident and "she is quite embarrassed by it."

In the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches, the holy communion is considered to be the most holy item which is handled and taken with utmost reverence and care. When someone behaves differently regarding the communion, it creates a sense of shock and indignation among the faithful.