On this Feast of St. Francis, “Faith, Hope, and Love,” the blog of CatholicMatch.com, offers an interesting look at single, Catholic pet owners. From a member survey, CatholicMatch.com learned that 62 percent of single Catholics own a pet, and Christina Ries, the blog’s editor, says that this statistic, while perhaps not surprising, is significant. “We believe pets play a special role in the lives of singles and their bonds have fascinating emotional and spiritual undertones,” she said.

Their series includes:

Single Catholics on why they cherish their pets. And more survey results. And pet photos.

A divorced New Yorker’s reflection on the rescue dog that rescued her.

A Wisconsin widow introduces the 113-pound labradoodle that failed obedience class, chewed her tennis balls and healed her broken heart.

There are plenty of jokes about the fear of becoming a “crazy, old cat lady,” but as these essays demonstrate, for many people, pets can provide more than just punchlines. Regardless of your marital status, have pets helped you to heal in some way?

Kerry Weber joined the staff of America in October 2009. Her writing and multimedia work have since earned several awards from the Catholic Press Association, and in 2013 she reported from Rwanda as a recipient of Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship. Kerry is the author of Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job (Loyola Press) and Keeping the Faith: Prayers for College Students (Twenty-Third Publications). A graduate of Providence College and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she has previously worked as an editor for Catholic Digest, a local reporter, a diocesan television producer, and as a special-education teacher on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.