A Manhattan cathedral has just surprised everyone by allowing some very unusual guests to live on their grounds.
The Basilica of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral is welcoming three new “lambscapers” who will be living on the grounds for the next six weeks. The sheep are named Houston, Prince and Spring, and they are the fifth group of sheep to be brought to the cathedral to live.
Though many were surprised by this move, this has actually been a tradition since 2014. Monsignor Donald Sakano explained that it stems from a joke he made with a groundskeeper who was retiring.
“I joked, ‘What do you expect me to do now, get sheep?’” Sakano said. “The second I said it I thought, ‘That might be a good idea,’ even though I knew nothing about sheep-keeping here in New York City.”
This year, the church raised $5,561 to get the sheep there, promising donors that the sheep will provide a “sustainable method of ‘mowing’ the grass … eliminating the need for loud, gasoline-powered mowers.” Five or six staff members will be taking care of the sheep during their time at the cathedral.
“They’re the stars,” said parishioner Andrew Shermin. “It’s a really fun thing for the neighborhood. There’s nothing else like it in the city.”
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