Blessing of the Animals
In remembrance of Saint Francis Assisi’s love for animals, Blessing of the Animals happens on October 4th of every year. These services allow parishioners the chance to gather for a blessing of their furry, scaly, or feathered loved ones. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, many churches will include the blessings in their Sunday service, and others will hold separate services.
In the midst of COVID-19, many churches are making adaptations to their standard Blessing of the Animals service. A few ideas include holding virtual blessings, drive-through blessings, or holding them outside while practicing social distancing. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Edina, MN, is having parishioners do readings with their pets. Parishioners are submitting photos of their pets, which will then be used to make a video set to “All Creatures Great and Small”. Finally, they will have a live pet blessing on their peace and coffee hour Zoom call.
RESOURCES
Blessing of the Animals service in Spanish from The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
St. Francis Day Resources from The Episcopal Church