Mumbai Church Holds Anniversary Mass To Honour Beloved Pet Dog Bingo In Unique Memorial Service

Catholic churches hold anniversary masses to pray for the departed souls, but a church in Chira Bazar held the service for a beloved pet dog on Sunday.

Bingo, a spitz, died at the age of 15 in February 2023. His distraught family, the Suvarnas, had not been able to forget him and wanted an anniversary service, also called a ‘year’s mind’, in his memory. When their church declined to conduct the service, reminding them that the prayers are offered only for humans, the Suvarnas approached the neighbouring parish, Our Lady of Health Church, Cavel The priest here, Father Joe D’Souza, is known for his annual blessing of pets that he conducts during the feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology.

Bingo was among a litter of seven puppies born to a neighbour’s dog. “My son picked him up and wanted to keep him, but I did not like pets. My son had been bitten by a dog and had to take rabies injections,” said Jennifer Suvarna, who retired a few years ago from a retail company. “I was almost like a stepmother to Bingo first, refusing to care for him and insisting that my children take care of his needs.”

Jennifer soon became a loving mother to Bingo, a reserved but proud canine who loved going on rides on a motorbike. “He was a well-behaved dog. He rarely barked and had never bitten anyone,” added the grieving pet mother.

When Bingo was around seven years old, the Suvarnas got a mate for him, but Bingo was not interested in siring a litter and the pairing remained unconsummated. “He was a bachelor dog,” said Jennifer.

Bingo was a pampered member of the Suvarna family, going on vacations with them and enjoying naps on their beds. The family even created a special canine-sized opening in the windows and doors for Bingo to peep out or walk to a friendly neighbour’s house.

Spitzs have an average lifespan of a little over 10 years, but Bingo was blessed with longevity. In February 2023, old age ultimately claimed Bingo.

On February 25 this year, the Suvarnas, including Jennifer’s husband, Manoj and son Sidhanth, attended the service at the church where Father D’Souza prayed for his soul. “I look at it in this way: the Old Testament says that during the great flood, when God asked Noah to build an ark, he also took animals along with humans. This shows that animals are part of our existence,” said D’Souza.