The front lawn of downtown’s Trinity Episcopal Church took on the appearance of a barnyard or petting zoo Sunday.

About 50 animals, including a ball python, horse, frog and even a few stuffed animals, were brought by their owners to receive blessings from the Rev. Jonathan Jensen.

“This is one of my favorite things to do,” Jensen said. “It’s one of the coolest parts of the Episcopal Church.”

The blessing of animals is an annual event of the church, 1011 Vt., in connection with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who was known to preach sermons to birds, Jensen said.

“Apparently the birds listened as well as the people,” he said.

Although most of the animals receiving blessings were dogs, Alison Tempero, a Kansas University junior from Lawrence, brought Squeaky, her two-foot female ball python.

“He (Jensen) said he’d never blessed a python before,” Tempero said.

Nearby, Lawrence resident Catherine Robins kept a tight grip on her Great Dane, Sky the Pagan, who was more interested in getting attention than exhibiting proper church behavior.

“He’s unruly,” Robins said of the year-old dog. “We hope by the end of the day he will be Sky the Blessed.”

The Rev. Jonathan Jensen, at left, blesses Caramel, a dog owned by Kent and Leah Spreckelmeyer, Lawrence, during the St. Francis Day Celebration with Blessing of Animals at Trinity Episcopal Church. The Sunday event attracted dogs, cats, a ball python and a horse, among other animals.

By far the largest of the animals was a Morgan horse named Tres (pronounced “Tray”). The horse is owned by Tamara and Jim Jarrow of Lawrence but was brought in for blessing by its trainer, Becky Buchanan.

“He’s a ‘lesson horse’ and teaches people how to ride,” Buchanan said. “We want him to stay healthy.”

In fact, Jensen rode Tres last week, he and Buchanan said. It was his first ride on horseback.

“Tres took very good care of him,” Buchanan said.

Some pet owners were hoping a good blessing would calm their animals down and get them to be less rambunctious. Deborah Burns was one of them. She brought her Irish terrier named Caideis, which she said was an Irish word for inquisitive.

“I’m a deacon (of the church) — I expect miracles all the time.” Burns said.

Harry, a long-haired dachshund owned by DiAnne Damro, of Lawrence, has been getting blessed at the Episcopal Church for all of his 13 years. The dachshund survived a bout with cancer.

“I think this helped,” Damro said.

Animal owners gather on the front lawn of Trinity Episcopal Church to participate in the St. Francis Celebration with Blessing of Animals. The Sunday afternoon event attracted many different kinds of pets. Some pet owners were hoping the blessing would help make their animals less rambunctious.