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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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See the Sheep at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral Before They Leave on Saturday

By Emilie Ruscoe | July 7, 2015 3:33pm
 Elizabeth, Mott and Mulberry greeting their fans at the Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral
Elizabeth, Mott and Mulberry greeting their fans at the Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral
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Photo Courtesy of the Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral: https://instagram.com/oldcathedral/

Three sheep named Elizabeth, Mott and Mulberry are wrapping up a stay in the churchyard of the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Nolita.

They hail from a farm in upstate New York, and they're the second delegation of their kind to visit the church. A trio of woolly quadrupeds made a splash last fall during a stay that started during the Feast of San Gennaro in September and ended with the Blessing of the Animals in October. Elizabeth, Mott and Mulberry were featured in recent a profile by the Wall Street Journal.

"They've become quite an atrraction," St. Patrick's parishioner and ministry lead Frank Alfieri told DNAinfo. He added that the program was originally conceived as a way to represent the good shepherd. Sheep are referenced in the bible more than any other animal, he said, making them excellent candidates for a goodwill ambassadorship. But the animals have an appeal beyond their religious significance: even for secular passers-by, Alfieri notes, "the sheep are comforting."

 

🎼🎶I got my eyes on ewe🎶

A photo posted by St. Patrick's Old Cathedral (@oldcathedral) on

 

In case you need help falling asleep #nyc #newyork #catholicism #catholic #nolita #soho #littleitaly #christian #christianity

A video posted by St. Patrick's Old Cathedral (@oldcathedral) on

The three sheep are scheduled to head back upstate Saturday, July 11. Stop by before then if you want to say hello.