Each year, on or around the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, which falls on October 4th, parishes across our diocese offer the Blessing of Animals. This year, the Communications Office has created a webpage to let everyone know where and when they can find a blessing for their pet.
The webpage can be found at https://www.rcda.org/blessing-animals
The tradition of blessing animals began sometime between 1210 and 1215, during St. Francis’ lifetime. St. Francis is known for his love of animals and often preached about God’s love for all creatures. You can learn more about his life and his Canticle of the Creatures via a link on the webpage.
You can also find a link to pictures from the 2023 Blessing of the Animals at St. Margaret of Cortona Church in Rotterdam Junction to get an idea of what to expect.
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