Here, kitty, kitty

The nominees for presiding bishop may not be granting interviews this week. But that didn’t stop Center Aisle. We began to think creatively about how to get to know them better. The answer was as clear as Fido’s gaze at dinnertime: Ask them about their favorite animals. Read on.

Bishop Henry Parsley of Alabama considers himself a dog person, especially after owning two springer spaniels--St. George I and St. George II. After sharing his home with Flannery, a 3-year-old Maine coon cat, however, Parsley has seen the virtue of owning (or being owned by) cats. “This cat thinks she’s a dog,” Parsley says. “She gets us up every day at 4:30 a.m., which is good for our prayer life.”

Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana shares his home with Lucy, a mixed-breed dog known to be partial to the diocesan camps. Jenkins also has a keen sense of pastoral care for pets and their owners. Recently, he performed the burial office for Baines, a yellow Labrador retriever and longtime companion of Bishop Rayford High Jr. of Texas. “I didn’t know the dog was Episcopalian until I saw how much he paid for the funeral,” says Jenkins. “Baines was a very high-church retriever. That’s unusual for Texas dogs.”

Bishop Stacy Sauls of Lexington is the proud owner of three dogs. Griffin, a yellow Lab, is 12 years old, and stays youthful with the help of Annie, a 3-year-old chocolate Lab. Sauls’ family also has adopted his late mother’s beloved rat terrier, Dottie. Despite her small stature, the bishop reports that Dottie keeps the two larger dogs in line. Additionally, Dottie’s name evidently derives from her spotted coat, and not from her intellectual capacity.

Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta is also a Labrador owner: He is blessed to live with Chelsea, an 8-year-old black Lab. Alexander reports that Chelsea is half-American and half-Kenyan, a fact that may point to a deep commitment to international awareness on the part of the bishop, especially if he had any hand in helping Chelsea’s parents make the long trek necessary for their courtship.

Bishop Francisco Duque-Gomez received his dog, Quiera, five years ago as a gift. Just a puppy then, Quiera has grown to be a large – very large -- Belgian shepherd. Guardians of the flock, Belgian shepherds are known for their watchfulness and diligence – qualities that undoubtedly make Quiera a worthy companion for a bishop.

Though she has had many household pets over the years, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of Nevada made a point of telling Center Aisle about her experience with goat herding. “We kept goats for better than 20 years in Oregon,” she said. Goats evidently helped Jefferts-Schori cut down on lawn mowing. Though a few particular goats were given Christian names, the bishop noted that they were most often called “Stew,” “Roast,” and “Chop.

Bishop Edwin Gulick of Kentucky also has experience with livestock: In1963 his Black Angus steer earned championship status. Since his cattle days, however, he has enjoyed domestic animals as well. Notable among them was Ashley, a cat of 19 years whose unique charm has thus far proved to be irreplaceable for the Gulick family.

Will any of this information about the nominees and their pets influence your vote? Perhaps that depends on whether you think the new presiding bishop should be most adept at training dogs or herding cats.