The Blessing of the Animals at St. Anselm
Celebrating the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi Patron Saint of Animals, Merchants & Ecology
Saturday October 4th, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, was a very exciting day at St. Anselm with parishioners and their pets gathering in the Main Vestibule of the Church for the annual Blessing of the Animals. In his introduction, Fr. Kull described the different services that animals provide both as working animals and as companions. Fr. Kull offered a blessing for pets and their owners and also blessed the individual animals. Many thanks to Fr. Kull for turning a rainy day into a beautiful, warm experience for the pets, their owners and the animal lovers who participated!
“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in Creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”