Blessing of the Animals

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small;

All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.

On the first Sunday in October, people driving along Bailey Cove Road may notice something odd.  Animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and spiders, with a great cacophony of barking, hissing, and meowing, are led by their owners into the field for a ceremony called the Blessing of the Animals.

This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi's great love for all creatures.  Francis, whose feast day is October 4, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town.  He and his early followers, staying in a small hovel, even allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.

Our pets are important in our lives, and at St. Thomas we give thanks for the blessings they give us.  We also take the opportunity to have a little fun.  Besides the actual blessing itself, our EYC usually sponsors a dog wash and hot dog roast.  As St. Thomas friend Krystin Rowe once said, "Bless 'em, wash 'em and roast 'em!"

Join us at the next Blessing of the Animals.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace....