Churches Hold St. Francis Pet Blessings

Churches in the United States, Canada and the Philippines marked the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with annual blessings for pets, honoring the patron saint of animals and ecology. Services welcomed animals including dogs, cats, turtles, birds, horses and a snail, as owners celebrated their pets and the tradition’s call to care for all creation. In Manila, Malate Church offered free vaccinations for dogs and cats, while a Wichita hospital blessed therapy dogs whose visits have comforted patients since the program began in 2013. Some gatherings also featured animal-rescue outreach and activities such as making bird feeders. The tradition has roots in Christian blessings of livestock and has expanded across denominations to include household pets.