The moving story of Fray Bigotón, the dog who wears a Franciscan habit and serves in a convent

They said that St. Francis of Assisi could make birds form crosses in the sky. That when he prayed he was surrounded by animals and was able to make him understand. At the beginning of the thirteenth century, the man – who would later be a saint – called “brothers” al canis familiaris.

Several centuries later, a quadruped proved to be able to understand its patron even from a distance. It doesn’t matter the huge time lag between them, nor that they travel across different dimensions. Friar Baffi responds to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis of Assisi, for believers, is noted through Fray Bigotón.

Fray Bigotón, also known as Fray Carmelo, or simply Carmelito, has four legs, hair, a muzzle, and sometimes, when those around him so desire, wears a Franciscan habit. In short, he is a friendly schnauzer who serves in a Bolivian convent.

Unlike San Francisco, which had no choice but to talk to animals face-to-face only, Fray Bigotón communicates with the majority through TikTok and Facebook. The advantages of being born in the age of social networks.

In the videos he plays in, he can be seen teaching his son method to “run like a good professional”, praying like a dog or playing Fra Michyits feline version.

the dog friar

Many people know Fray Bigotón for its particular appearance for a 2017 course that aroused wide sighs. The photos of him, in which he shows his demeanor as a gallant and faithful devotee, do not admit composed sentences: they only accept onomatopoeias of admiration.

These went viral because the priest who uploaded them, the Friar Jorge Fernandezwas part of a Facebook group of schnauzer lovers.

And they weren’t just popularizing the furry, they also inspired other Franciscans. That year a group of professionals was born moved by the relationship between the friars and Carmelito Franciskanitos projecta volunteer for the rescue and protection of animals.

“They came so that we could accompany them and transmit spirituality to them. We tried to accompany them as far as possible, ”said Fray Fernández.

Fernandez was Hachiko’s Richard Gere. While living in the convent, Jorge took care of Carmelo more than anyone else. When the puppy arrived in Cochabamba, he carried it in a chullpa, a small bag with Andean motifs typical of Bolivia. Then, over the years, he just walked and was followed by the pichicho.

How did you get to the convent?

At first it was said that Fray Bigotón had been saved from the street by a group of friars, but this was not the case. The schnauzer has recovered Convent of San Francisco in the Archdiocese of Cochabamba thanks to a Polish priest named Kasper Capron.

It was 2016. Carmelo landed in South America a month and a half. As Fernández told ACI Prensa last year, the initial plan of the Franciscans was to adopt a kennel dog so that all the brothers could deepen their “love for all creation” and honor their saint, that of ecology. , vets and, of course, animals. This was not possible due to all the requisites required by the shelters.

Immediately, Bigotón was called “Fray” and a few months later he was considered a schnauzer (it took a while to figure out that it was a purebred dog). Because, it is worth clarifying, for a while Carmelo lived with the identity of a stray dog. The revelation would confirm him as a great rat hunter and pigeon scarecrow.

The characteristics of the mustache

The mustache is not the only physical characteristic of the Hairy Friar. Carmelo is “bad” and likes to be with his brothers, with whom he has a difficult relationship. Since the friars live in the convent for short periods, they come and go and Fray Bigotón suffers because he becomes attached to them and then he doesn’t see them anymore.

Although he has his own bed in the garden, he usually sleeps in the first room he finds with the door open.

Fray Bigotón and his little son method They will be, as long as they are still with us, the only dogs that will live in the Cochabamba convent.

“Carmel is enough. We are itinerant. When I move, the puppy suffers. When the siblings finish training and leave, the puppy suffers, “Fernández explained.

In all this time, Fray Bigotón has had two feline companions. a cat named Friar Panchitoarrived thanks to some novice friars, e Fra Michy. The first has disappeared; the second, it is believed that she still lives with Carmelito.

During the pandemic, the friars went out with Fray Bigotón and ensured that the mere presence of the “puppy encouraged the people” and helped them hope for “better things”.