Dog Won’t Leave Church Until Pastor Follows Him to Strange House. 

Mysterious Dog

He sneaked into the church unseen, but when he was noticed, the pastor did all he could to get him out. It was futile. The dog was there for more reasons than he was.

He sat quietly in front of the congregation. His head was tilted down, his sights set on something ahead. He appeared to be possessed. What precisely was he looking at? The town was captivated by the mystery surrounding the church and the dog.

The pastor

Pastor Gregory Malroy had been giving sermons in the Santa Maria Assunta church for more than a decade. He had seen all types of people pass in and out of his church doors - and he could name most of them.

Pastor Malroy was a kind and devoted man who spent the majority of his days being of service to others. He provided sermons and confessions and helped out with numerous charity events and organizations around the town. As far as everyone knew, he was a real-life saint.

Small Town

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The town of San Donaci was small. It was a place where everybody knew everybody, so when one small mystery happened to find its way into the church, superstition and rumors engulfed the town.

When the dog first entered Pastor Malroy’s church, he tried to lead him outside. He was a German Shepherd, and he seemed old and very stubborn. Under pressure to start the sermon, he let the dog stay. Churchgoers laughed at the adorable dog, but there was nothing funny about this.

Winning The Church Over

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The dog was calm and quiet during church. He didn’t bother anyone. Instead, he just sat down and hung his head, staring at the left side aisle of the churchgoers.

He was so well-behaved that when the service ended, people came up to pet him. Pastor Malroy did too. “You’re not so bad, ay!” Pastor Malroy said, taking a liking to him. So when the dog kept showing up to the church, again and again, Pastor Malroy was more than willing to let him stay. But then he noticed something strange.

Constant Staring 

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He didn’t think much of it at first, but when he saw the dog return to the exact same pointed position every day, he wondered what on earth he was so fixated on. He remembered hearing people whispering about the dog’s strange behavior and joking that it was like he was looking at the dead.

But standing at the altar, behind the dog, he couldn’t see any of this, so he looked at the church’s security cameras to find out. What Pastor Malroy discovered left him speechless.

Looking possessed

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The motionless dog looked possessed, staring mindlessly into the congregation. At this stage, Pastor Malroy had formed a deep fondness for his furry devoted churchgoer and what he saw made him worry.

Was the dog seeing something? Or was he blind? The pastor knew the dog's owner wasn’t at the church. No one had claimed him when he asked around, so he took it upon himself to bring the old dog to the vet. Maybe they could explain his strange behavior.

Vet Visit

The pastor brought the dog to the vet and told them why they were there. The vet soon determined that there was nothing wrong with his eyes. In fact, he was perfectly healthy.

He sent the pastor and the dog on their way, but just before they left, the pastor spotted a peculiar note on the dog’s form. The note stopped him in his tracks and had him scrambling for his pen.

One Step Closer

He was microchipped! His name was Tommy. He was 12 years old. The pastor scribbled down the phone number and called it straight away. He tried three times, but there was no answer.

Deflated, the pastor arrived back at the church with Tommy. It was time to close up the church, but Tommy wouldn’t leave. After the pastor struggled to get Tommy out, he waited at the door. He was waiting for Pastor Malroy.

Deflated, the pastor arrived back at the church with Tommy. It was time to close up the church, but Tommy wouldn’t leave. After the pastor struggled to get Tommy out, he waited at the door. He was waiting for Pastor Malroy.

Into the darkdark

The pastor knew Tommy wanted something from him. He approached him, at which point Tommy got up and turned around. He stood for a moment, looking back to see if the pastor was following him.

The pastor looked at him curiously. He knew he wanted him to follow, so he did. Little did he know, Tommy was leading him into something he wouldn’t soon forget.

Following behind

He followed Tommy around the empty dark streets, passing lit-up houses and streetlamps to the top of an old dusty road. The house he was walking towards sat on top of a small hill.

One dull light beamed from the bottom right window. Tommy sat outside the front door, waiting expectantly. And just like clockwork, the door opened.

Tommy’s Story

Pastor Malroy couldn’t deny that he was feeling a little uneasy. But he wanted to meet Tommy’s owner. Did they know he went to church every day? But when she opened the door, it wasn’t what the pastor expected.

A friend of Tommy’s owner opened the door. He had never seen her before. After the pastor introduced himself, she told him Tommy’s story.

Mystery Solved

Pastor Malroy found out that Tommy’s owner had sadly passed away some time ago. His owner’s name was Lochi. She was a quiet woman who kept to herself, but one thing she was known for was taking in a number of stray dogs every now and again.

Tommy was Lochi’s third dog to rescue, and the two created an incredible bond that she didn’t experience with her other rescues.

Finding Tommy (Daily Mail)

She found Tommy when he was 2 years old, abandoned in a field in a remote part of the countryside. He had no collar and no microchip. He was in bad condition, so she immediately took him home.

With her two other adopted rescues long gone, she was able to focus all of her attention on Tommy. From then on, he was always by her side. He even sat outside the church entrance and waited for her whenever she went to Mass.

Dog in Mourning

When she passed away, her friend recalled how Tommy was so heartbroken that he followed her coffin into Pastor Malroy’s church. Not one of the mourners had the heart to prevent him from entering the church, so instead, they let him join them at the funeral service.

The town mayor said that now, all the locals want to adopt Tommy, and he quickly became “everyone’s dog” from the butcher to the baker - they all take care of him.

Heartbroken Dog

Daily Mail

Lochi's friend told Pastor Malroy that after Lochi died, whenever the heartbroken dog heard the sound of the church bells, she’d find him at the church, perhaps hoping his owner may appear again or because it felt familiar to go.

Tommy would sit in front of the altar, facing the congregation. Priests would even descend into the aisles to give churchgoers the Eucharist so that ol’ Tommy wouldn’t be disturbed.