SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A comfort dog visited staff members at Mercy Medical Center on Thursday.
In a news release sent to 22News from Mercy Medical Center spokesperson Mary Orr, the Most Rev. William Byrne, Bishop of the Springfield Catholic Diocese brought Zélie, a three-year-old black Labrador Retriever comfort dog, to the hospital. Zélie was welcomed by members of Mercy to spend a few minutes to enjoy the opportunity.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield appointed its 10th bishop in December; ordaining Rev. William Byrne in a Mass at St. Michael’s Cathedral. Byrne was born in Washington, D.C. as the youngest of eight children. He completed his undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, before attending the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
