SHERBORN - A Father's Day ceremony fit for royalty honored one of Sherborn's own: Emily the Cow.

	T.R. Sampathkumar of Epping, N.H., and T.L. Krishnabhatta of Ashland, left, bless the statue of Emily the Cow Sunday at the Sherborn Peace Abbey. (Photo by Joan Hill) See more photos of the Dedication Ceremony here

The bronze statue of the bovine at her Peace Abbey grave was officially dedicated Sunday as the Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial. People filled the grounds to pay respect to the cow who gained international attention after escaping a Hopkinton slaughterhouse 10 years ago.

The statue, created by Lado Goudjabidze, looks like an average bovine, but Emily stands for much more.

Emily's story is one of survival, perseverance and inspiration. After hearing of Emily's escape, Meg and Lewis Randa, Peace Abbey co-founders, brought her to live at the Peace Abbey. After eight years in town, Emily died March 30, 2003, of cancer. A statue adorned with a blanket and flowers, Hindu signs of respect, stands at her eternal resting place, where Emily the Cow will live on as a symbol of vegetarianism, animal rights and nonviolence.

The dedication turnout showed that Emily was a beloved bovine, accepting of all who visited. Krishna Bhatta of Ashland's Sri Lakshmi Temple and Viren Shah, Jain Center of Greater Boston president, blessed the sacred statue with flowers and water from the Ganges River in India.

Cherish life

The Randas, Evelyn Kimber, President of the Boston Vegetarian Society and Camilo Mejia, a Florida National Guardsman who spent a year in prison after refusing to return to what he considered an illegal war in Iraq, remembered Emily. Hundreds came to spread her message: cherish life.

There's no telling how many people this memorial will touch. Just meeting Emily changed so many hearts.

Meg Randa said Emily attracted more visitors to the Peace Abbey than anyone else ever has and "there was something about this cow." Randa said guests would meet Emily and forswear meat.

"Just meeting Emily changed so many hearts," she said.

Dot Walsh, the Peace Abbey chaplain, said Emily helped her to be more compassionate, kind and loving. Walsh was touched by these selfless traits that people came to observed in Emily and she "did it without preference for any particular people."

Mejia, recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience, thanked Emily for the "invaluable message of peace and justice she left for all of us."

As a vegetarian, Mejia believes his diet leads to a nonviolent lifestyle, and he said people "must reject the principle of violence."

Carrie Haigh, of Milton, never met Emily, but after hearing the kind words at the dedication, she wishes she had. She believes Emily represents peace.

Nonviolence, too

Haigh, a Peace Abbey supporter, said Mejia's stance against war brought her to the ceremony. Haigh said there's a relationship between Emily and Mejia, and she supports "the whole notion of peace to all creatures."

Harold Brown, farm sanctuary outreach coordinator, urged this concept at the ceremony and stressed the importance of a cruelty-free world, starting with animals. He said making friends with animals can help people have compassion for others.

"It's so important that we all reach out," Brown said.

And that's what Emily encouraged people to do. Whether it's a change in diet or lifestyle, the Sacred Cow Animal Rights Memorial reminds people that they can make a difference.

"There's no telling how many people this memorial will touch," Lewis Randa said.