but has built an online following by criticizing the

The Rev. José Antonio Carballo, rector of the cathedral, addressed the pets waiting attentively and calmly in their owners’ arms during his service.“We ask the Lord to bless them, so he can preserve them and care for them, since they bring company and encouragement to their caretakers,” Carballo said.

As soon as he finished noon Mass, pet owners headed to the cathedral’s entrance, where Carballo sprinkled holy water on both humans and pets.There was Jerome, a black and tan colored yorkie, held by loving owner Gabriela Viquez.She adopted him four years ago as a pup and immediately fell head over heels for him. Since then, on the anniversary of the day he arrived home, she gets a cake and hosts a party to celebrate Jerome.

“I once spoke to a person who can talk to animals and she told me that he once was a gift for someone, but was later abandoned and beaten, so he carried a lot of trauma,” Viquez said.“We are now very happy together and it was a fortune to have found each other.”

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s

with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.Mulato Teatro cast members, transgender actress Annya Atanasio Cadena and musician Jesús Peredo, rehearse for their upcoming performance at the First International Afro-Scenic Festival, in Ticumán, Mexico, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme)

“In my (LGBTQ+) community, we know what it’s like to fight against the world,” said Atanasio, who plays a trans woman in one of Chabaud’s plays about gender violence.“I’m very moved to have been given the chance to become part of this space, which also heals me,” she added. “We can show that we exist and we are more than just a story. We are bodies, desires, feelings, and the pain we carry.”

There’s a special play written and directed by Castillo: “Dreaming of Africa.”Although she has not been able to trace the exact roots of her ancestry, her work and community make her feel closer to a long-lost home.