Every October 4th is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. As part of tradition, we often associate this day with the blessing of animals. This is because of Saint Francis’ deep respect and love to all God’s living creation. It was originally intended for work animals like carabaos who help farmers to till the land or horses who pull carriages to transport people or goods. Through the course of time, however, it was expanded to include domesticated pets.  

This year 2021 at Holy Spirit Parish, we will have the Blessings of Animals on October 2 at 4:00PM. 

Saint Francis treated animals as his brothers and sisters, as well as all other God’s living creations. Tradition said that even birds gathered around him as his audience as if he was preaching to them about how God loved them. There was once a story about a vicious wolf attacking people and other animals in the town of Gubbio, a medieval town in central Italy in the province of Perugia where Saint Francis once lived. He went to face the wolf. The wolf became furious. Saint Francis prayed, and the wolf calmed down and laid down to his feet. He made a promise to the wolf that the people there would feed him regularly, but the wolf, in return, had to promise that he would never harm the people nor other animals.   

For some, they misunderstood Saint Francis about his love and attachment to animals as delusional. Nevertheless, whether he was inspired by God or madness, Saint Francis of Assisi was very well known and honored throughout the Christian world. Because animals were dearly to him, he was declared by the Church as the Patron Saint of animals.