Saint John was blessed to be able to celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi this weekend with our annual Blessing of the Animals in our Prayer Garden. Deacon Forrest provided blessings for all the pets that were brought to the church.
Many children in the USA bring their pets to the church to be blessed on St Francis’ feast day because of his love for animals as expressed in his Canticle of Creatures. St Francis is the patron saint of animals so many churches offer animal blessing services, usually held on or around October 4. The services may include a verbal blessing and holy water and are usually held at a place where different animals can gather.
