Blessing of the Pets, Worldwide, Oct. 4, 2009
September 27, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under Events
In recognition of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4, many Catholic churches (along with Episcopal and, increasingly, other denominations as well) hold a Blessing of the Pets on the Sunday closest to October 4. This year, Sunday falls on October 4. All denominations and their pets (dogs on leashes, cats and other small animals in carriers) are welcome. Some give St. Francis medals to the blessed animals; some request pet food donations for area shelters. You’ll also find Blessings at some area dog-centric festivals on or near October 4.
Video: This YouTube video from the Modesto Bee newspaper recalls the Blessing of the Pets at Blessing of the Animals at St Stanislaus school in Modesto, California.
Traditional Blessing of the Pet: The traditional blessing of the pet is:
“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.”
Find Local Blessing of the Pet Events:
- A good resource for state-by-state listings of Blessing of the Pet events is found on AmericanCatholic.com
or via
