You're Invited

to bring your pets to Our Lady of Lourdes for a blessing on Sunday, October 6th, after the Noon Mass. In honor of the Feast of St. Francis, we'll gather outside of the church with our pets.* 

St. Francis’ feast day is appropriate for animal blessings because of the saint's love as expressed in his Canticle of Creatures.  "For St. Francis, every creature­—that is, everything that God created—is sacred. The sun, the moon, birds, humans, butterflies, and even rabid wolves were a part of God’s plan and a sign of God’s love. German philosopher Max Scheler once commented on St. Francis’ love of creation by saying, 'Where the modern cynic sees something ‘buglike’ in everything that exists, St. Francis saw even in a bug the sacredness of life.' 

The Catholic custom of pet blessings originated from early Christians who lived close to the soil and nature. They were farmers whose livelihoods depended upon the health of their animals. Thus early Christians would seek out the desert fathers to bless their charges. That’s why Italian Christians have their animals blessed twice a year, once on St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day and again on January 17, the feast of St. Anthony of Egypt—the monk who established the Christian monastic tradition."  (U.S. Catholic)

* Here are a few tips for an uneventful day:  

Bring friendly and well-behaved animals.

Represent nervous or aggressive animals by photos.

Keep animals suitably restrained and under-control.

Take along a container of drinking water.

Have plenty of plastic, pet waste bags to keep our church yard clean.