New York City has seen its share of unusual visitors, but one recent guest apparently decided to stop by church.
A raccoon surprised people in Greenwich Village when it ran through the front doors of St. Joseph’s Church during an evening candlelight prayer service.
Yes — a raccoon really walked into church.
A Surprise Visitor at St. Joseph’s
The unexpected visit happened at St. Joseph’s Church on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village. Video of the encounter shows the raccoon making its way past people outside before heading through the church doors.
Inside, the parish was holding NightFire, an evening prayer event centered around candlelit Eucharistic Adoration.
The church describes NightFire as an opportunity for people to pray, reflect and welcome others into the church. Confession, prayer teams and conversation are also available during the event.
The September 25 NightFire was scheduled from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.
The raccoon, however, apparently had a much shorter visit in mind.
The Raccoon Didn’t Stay Long
After making its surprise entrance, the animal did not remain for the entire service. It was soon headed back outside, turning what could have been a stressful encounter into a memorable moment for those nearby.
Fortunately, reports of the incident did not indicate that anyone was injured.
For anyone watching the video, the scene almost writes its own punchline: the raccoon came through the doors, checked things out and apparently decided one quick visit was enough.
An Unusual Moment in Greenwich Village
St. Joseph’s is a historic Catholic church in Greenwich Village and one of the older Catholic churches in New York City. Its location in one of Manhattan’s busiest neighborhoods means plenty of people pass by its doors every day.
Four-legged visitors are considerably less expected.
Raccoons are highly adaptable animals, however, and have become a familiar part of urban life in many American cities. Their ability to find food and shelter around buildings, parks and residential neighborhoods sometimes brings them surprisingly close to people.
This particular raccoon just happened to choose a considerably more dramatic entrance.
A Story Made for a Smile
Not every headline needs to involve controversy, politics or a major crisis. Sometimes a raccoon wandering into a candlelit church is enough to give people something unexpected to smile about.
And for St. Joseph’s, an ordinary evening of prayer suddenly became a New York story that traveled far beyond Greenwich Village.
As for the raccoon, it appears the masked visitor had somewhere else to be.
Call it curiosity. Call it perfect timing. Or just call it one very quick — and very furry — church visit.
Sources
ABC7 New York — Raccoon Runs Inside NYC Church During Candlelight Prayer Service
St. Joseph of Greenwich Village — Parish Calendar and NightFire Information
Archdiocese of New York — St. Joseph’s Church