Three churches are holding "Blessings of the Animals" to honor Saint Francis of Assisi near his feast day of Oct. 4. St. Francis is well-known for being the patron saint of animals and nature.
"I think that we need to rescue St. Francis from the bird bath. It's a wonderful thing to be remembered for, but he was so much more than just a creation carer (person who cares about creation)," said Rev. Bill Van Oss of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
"It's a custom to have a statue of St. Francis that might sit on the edge of a birdbath. Or some people will have a little statue of St. Francis in their yard with a bird on his shoulder and a bunny rabbit at his feet. This is a very classic depiction of St. Francis. It shows his concern for creation and his love for creatures great and small." But Van Oss wants to remind people of the saint's other works.
"St. Francis was a great church reformer in a time when the church was in need of a voice for reform and he was also a great advocate for the poor. Those charisms (gifts from God) are equally as important."
Van Oss plans to share more information about St. Francis in his brief remarks at his church's blessing, which begins at 10 a.m. Attendees of this blessing are encouraged to bring their pets to the church's front lawn for a blessing.
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"We also remember pets that have died in the past year as well. We pray for them by name because we know how hard it is to lose a pet. They become such an important part of our family and it's hard when we lose them," Van Oss said.
Pet owners who feel that their animals don't get along well with others are encouraged to bring a photo of their pet instead.
"Some of the little ones bring a stuffed animal and that's perfectly fine, too. We're happy to bless teddy bears," Van Oss said.
Farm Animals
While most of the blessings at Van Oss' church are for pets like cats and dogs, the blessings at Pilgrim Congregational Church will focus on farm animals.
"I'm inviting everyone to bring a picture of a farm animal. It can either be a photograph or something cut out of a magazine. Or a drawing, a child could do a drawing. And we'll make a big collage and use that as the visual focus for our gratitude and our blessing for farm animals everywhere," said organizer Bonnie Ambrosi.
This blessing begins at 5 p.m. and includes live music from singer/songwriter Mary Bue and a prayer of blessing by R. Charlotte Frantz.
"It's easy to say that most people love animals. In the paper all the time people are so generous towards animal shelters and they care about dogs that have had injuries. They care about moose and raptors and whales. But farm animals are out of sight and out of mind," Ambrosi said.
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There will also be information about factory farming, "cruelty free" treats and flyers about eating more humanely.
"I'd like to make people more aware of where their animal food comes from but it can be a difficult topic. It can make people shut down; it's a very difficult thing to listen to. This will be a very family-friendly event with no awful videos or photos. Just people gently saying hey, think about the animals that give us food and love them too," Ambrosi said.
The third blessing will be given by Rev. Catherine Schuyler at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Duluth Congregational Church. People are welcome to bring their pets to this blessing as well.
Animal Blessings for St. Francis' Feast Day
What: Blessing of the Animals
Where: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1710 E. Superior St.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4
Pets welcome
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What: Blessing of the Farm Animals
Where: Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2310 E. 4th St.
When: 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4
Photos or drawings of animals only
What: Blessing of the Animals
Where: Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 E. Superior St.
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5
Pets welcome
