Deacon-veterinarian offers blessings on Feast of St. Francis

Photos by Frank J. Methe | CLARION HERALD

On an occasion that summoned both his vocational and professional callings, Deacon Gary Levy, a veterinarian since 1982, blessed his four-legged patients from the porch of his Lakeview-based practice on Oct. 4 – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Deacon Levy, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in June, is assigned to St. Pius X Parish in Lake Vista. He conducted a second blessing of animals in front of St. Pius X Church on Oct. 5. The creatures blessed there included a bearded dragon, a sulcata tortoise and a ball python. “It was very, very special to be able to take part in these blessings,” said Deacon Levy, noting that a needlepoint of St. Francis given to him by his mother has graced his veterinary office for decades. “It was a bit of a dream come true for me to be able to integrate the pastoral side with the medical.”