In the city of Gravatá, Brazil, many stray dogs roam the streets in need of a forever home. So, a kind priest decided to invite the pups into his church, and has even made them a part of his Sunday mass.
Father João Paulo Araujo Gomes, head of the parish of Santana, brings them to mass in hopes to convince families to adopt them. Throughout the service, the pups often wander into the church, hoping to meet their new owner. And Father João does his best to make it happen. The kind priest houses them at his rectory, ready to take them to Sunday service and show them off. The dogs take centre stage at the service so potential new owners can watch them and fall in love.
“They will always be able to enter, sleep, eat, drink their water and find shelter and protection, for this house is of God and they are of God,” Father João Paulo wrote on Facebook. He engages the large church’s community in his mission by encouraging them to invite people who are interested in bringing home a new family member. His compassionate actions raise awareness and help to make a change, starting from Gravatá.
Thanks to the priest’s actions, the number of abandoned dogs on the streets of Gravatá, which has 228,000 inhabitants, has reduced substantially. Dozens of stray dogs have already found loving homes. In fact, after meeting so many faithful animals in person, the kind-hearted priest couldn’t help but adopt some himself.
