CHARLOTTE — Pet parents of the furry, hooved, feathery and scaly brought their beloved animals to receive a special blessing at parishes across the Diocese of Charlotte over the past week.
The annual Blessing of the Animals honors the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology (learn more below). Pet owners know the special role their animals play in their lives as a source of unconditional love and stress relief, and pet blessings are a chance to share the love of God with these special creatures.
“The Blessing of the Animals, which has become associated with our parish patron, St. Francis of Assisi, is one of those beautiful examples of the universality of our faith and of God’s universal call to holiness for all people,” Father Eric Kowalski says of the Church custom that widely appeals to the larger community.
Father Kowalski is pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Mocksville, one of four among the diocese’s 92 churches and missions named for the beloved saint.
“It is wonderful to see the intersectionality with our Christian brothers and sisters who gather, sometimes at their churches, and even occasionally here in Mocksville for the Blessing of the Animals,” he said. “At a time when so many people seem to be emphasizing all the things that divide us, it’s wonderful to see something as simple as a blessing of animals brings people together.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Pictured: Deacon Jim Bozik blesses people's pets Sept. 30 outside St. Peter Church in Charlotte. (Troy Hull | Catholic News Herald)
Why is St. Francis the patron of animals?
Born into a wealthy family in Assisi, Italy in 1181, Francis lived a comfortable life. At 21, he became a soldier and went off to war in northern Italy. He returned from the experience a changed man and devoted his life to God, saying he was called by God to live a life of poverty and work to revitalize the Church. Francis became an itinerant preacher whose words were heard by thousands. He eventually founded the Franciscan religious order.
Throughout his life, he was known for having an affinity for animals, with stories told of birds and other creatures surrounding him as he traveled. According to one, Francis started the custom of blessing animals between 1210 and 1215, and he is also said to have started the first outdoor Nativity scene featuring live animals in 1223.
Francis frequently preached about God’s love for all His creatures and the need to show respect and love to all, both humans and animals. One of his writings, the “Canticle of the Creatures,” talks about the unity between all creatures and all of God’s creation.
St. Francis of Assisi died presumably from a bacterial infection on Oct. 3, 1226, at 44. He was canonized on July 16, 1228, by Pope Gregory IX.
He was known early on as the patron of animals and birds, but he was also named the patron of ecology by Pope John Paul II in 1979, who wrote “Among the holy and admirable men who have revered nature as a wonderful gift of God to the human race, St. Francis of Assisi deserves special consideration.”
As part of your celebration of this special saint’s feast day on Oct. 4, consider reading his famous prayer-poem “Canticle of the Creatures,” a beautiful prayer to God acknowledging His blessings and the connectedness of all His creation, and considered a cornerstone of Franciscan spirituality.
See some of this year's pet blessing photos
— Photos by Troy Hull | Catholic News Herald; Provided
Blessing of the stuffed animals
HUNTERSVILLE — St. Mark Church preschoolers brought their stuffed animals to school Oct. 4 for a special blessing to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. The blessing took place in the church where the children could practice blessing themselves with holy water – which sometimes included their pets – and genuflecting.
Once seated, preschool director Amanda Rametta read them The Prayer of St. Francis from the book of the same name illustrated by Giulano Ferri. They also learned about St. Francis Assisi’s work to repair the Church and what things that they can to help the Church.
Deacon Rich McCarron then prayed over all the children and then asked them to raise their stuffed animals for a blessing with holy water.
— Photos by Amy Burger
