St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church invites members of the entire community to participate in a Blessing of the Animals Sunday, October 1, at 12 noon, on the church steps at 353 Main St. To mark the occasion, each pet will receive a medallion in honor of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment.
“We invite all our furry and feathered friends every year to this brief ceremony on the Sunday closest to the October 4 feast day of St. Francis,” said the Rev. Whitney Altopp, rector of St. Stephen’s. “The occasion recognizes how much pets bless our lives.”
St. Francis, who proclaimed the goodness of God in all created things, is credited with writing the widely used Prayer for Peace, which begins “Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union.” He was canonized in 1228, two years after his death at age 44.
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