Blessing of the Animals
In remembrance of Saint Francis of Assisi’s love for animals, Blessing of the Animals happens on October 4th of every year. These services allow members the chance to gather for a blessing of their furry, scaly, or feathered loved ones. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, many churches will include the blessings in their Sunday service, and others will hold separate services.
In the midst of COVID-19, many churches made adaptations to their standard Blessing of the Animals service. A few ideas include holding virtual blessings, drive-through blessings, or holding them outside while practicing social distancing. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Edina, MN, had parishioners do readings with their pets. Parishioners submitted photos of their pets, which were then used to make a video set to “All Creatures Great and Small”. Finally, they held a live pet blessing on their peace and coffee hour Zoom call.
Episcopal Resources
Blessing of the Animals service in Spanish from The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
St. Francis Day Resources from The Episcopal Church
Other Traditions
A Service for the Blessing of Animals (The United Methodist Book of Worship)
Blessing All God’s Creatures (PC(USA)); the 2018 Book of Common Worship includes a blessing of animals