Many churches in the United States celebrate the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on October 4th. The feast commemorates the life of St Francis, who was born in the 12th century and is the Catholic Church's patron saint of animals and the environment. It is a popular day for pets to be "blessed". Therefore, St Francis is lovingly known as the patron saint of animals, or the patron saint of the lowly.
St Francis, who founded the Catholic Church's Franciscan order, lived in Italy during the late 12th and 13th centuries. He is remembered for his generosity to the poor and his willingness to minister to the lepers. He is also remembered for his love for animals and nature. St Francis died at Portiuncula, Italy on October 4, 1226.
Pope Gregory IX pronounced St Francis a saint in 1228. The pope also laid the foundation stone for the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, therefore sometimes you will hear St Francis referenced as St. Francis of Assisi.
While these pet blessing services are generally held as close to the feast day of St Francis, October 4th, many people will consider October the Feast Month, the celebration month, of St Francis with pet blessings being conducted throughout the month.
The services may include a verbal blessing and sometimes holy water and are usually held at a place where different animals can gather. For some, they are unable to bring their animals to the actual blessing event, so they will bring a photo of their loved pet.
Some of the families and pet care professionals served by The Pet Loss Center are either unable to find a local pet blessing or possibly are unable to physically travel to a local service. With The Pet Loss Center's mission that "all pets deserve dignity and respect in life and in death," we are honored to be a part of the celebration and blessing of these animals.
From the comfort of your home or business, join us for a virtual pet blessing. We will have the blessing on Sunday, October 9th, at 1 pm Central time. You can join us with your pets via our
Facebook. Should you not be able to join us for this service, we will record the service for you to view later.
Lastly, for every community The Pet Loss Center has the honor of serving pets and those who care for them, it's a privilege to walk with you during the emotional journey in the loss of these precious pets. We humbly accept our responsibility to be a resource and will be here as we Walk Together with all of the support and care you need during this time.
