Above: Mother Tanya blesses a dog at St. Luke’s 2020 Blessing of the Animals.

All animals (and their people!) are welcome

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is holding its annual Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 3, at Academy Field behind Swift Community Center at 11 a.m. and all are welcome.

The Blessing of the Animals is a tradition that runs across many religious faiths. For Christians, it is often held on or near Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was known as a lover of animals and nature. There is a legend that he tamed a wolf that had been terrorizing the Italian city of Gubbio and he is often pictured with small animals.

St. Luke’s will hold its regular 10:15 Sunday worship service at Academy Field and the blessing of the animals will take place immediately following the service, around 11 a.m. Father Tim Rich, rector of St. Luke’s, encouraged anyone who is looking to have their pets blessed to come. In addition to cats and dogs, the priests of St. Luke’s have blessed everything from birds and bunnies to gerbils and even chickens!

Find more information HERE.