So Cute! A Catholic Priest and his Golden Doodle Invite You to Watch "Devotions with Daisy" for Spiritual Inspiration!


‘Devotions with Daisy’, is the idea of a priest from the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska, USA. He hopes to offer spiritual joy through his blog “Devotions with Daisy” by imitating St. Francis’ love for God’s creation.
 During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020, Father Allan Phan of Sacred Heart Church/St. James Parish in Crete, Nebraska began creating daily online reflections to offer spiritual food for parishioners at St Vincent de Paul Parish, where he was serving at the time.He introduced his pet Goldendoodle, Daisy, into his reflections.  
“I figured introducing Daisy would be a better attention-getter than my face,” Father Phan joked about the addition. He also thought that during a time of stress and anxiety, a puppy would bring a smile to people’s faces. Parishioners would tell him they loved his “devotions with Daisy,” which is where the name for his reflections came from. Father Phan reflected, “I most definitely did not think many people would watch it, let alone enjoy it! It’s been wild seeing how many people recognize Daisy or will stop me and ask, ‘Are you the priest that prays with their dog?’” Diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2019, Father Phan first got Daisy to help him get through his chemo-radiation treatment, and she continues to bring him joy when he feels poorly health-wise. 
 “I pray with Daisy before letting her eat her meals and every single time I feel a joy in my heart to turn to God alongside His creation. She also does a great job at keeping me from being lazy by taking night walks with her! I enjoy the walks because it’s a reminder to see and receive the Father’s love through all He has created, literally for His children to enjoy.” 
 “Devotions with Daisy” has borne many fruits for viewers and Father Phan himself, especially by providing positivity in the midst of the negativity of social media. Katie Ostgren, director of development and stewardship for the Diocese of Lincoln, said, “Father Phan takes something lots of people can relate to —owning, training and caring for a dog—and helps them use that experience to encounter Jesus. The culture is starving for that.” Some parents have shared with Father Phan that their children tried to teach their own dogs how to pray after watching “Devotions with Daisy.” For Father Phan, “Devotions with Daisy” has helped him spiritually because it forces him to think outside the box using day-to-day experiences to help people pray.Devotions with Daisy can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/ DevotionsWithDaisy.

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