Pets big and small—and even some teddy bears—were the guests of honor at the feast of St. Francis of Assisi blessing on Oct. 4 at St. Mary of the Assumption School. Students and families joined millions of people around the world to have their pets blessed. Father Rolly Clarin led the prayer service and blessed dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, and fish in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology.
“It was wonderful! We had a great time,” St. Mary’s principal Michelle Cox said after the event. “It was precious to see all of the children and their families with their pets. Some children brought a stuffed animal in place of a pet. One little girl brought a shopping cart full of stuffed animals from home.”
She said the blessing is a “beautiful reminder that God created and loves all the creatures on the Earth,” and added that St. Francis of Assisi was known for his love of animals.
St. Mary of the Assumption School was founded in 1938 and is the Santa Maria Valley’s oldest Catholic school.
This article appears in Oct 11-18, 2012.