There will be a blessing of the animals in the tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 5, 1-3 pm, on the library patio in front of Clark Library, University of Portland, 5000 N Willamette Blvd. The tradition is honor of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast day is Oct. 4. Fr. Tyler Kreipke will offer blessings of pets. The event is free and all are welcome. All pets must be leashed or crated.
The tradition of blessing animals has been revived in the name of St. Francis whose feast day falls on October 4. The day is also celebrated globally as World Animal Day.
St. Francis believed profoundly that everything in nature — including animals, plants, the sun, and the water — was created by God and should be regarded as a siblings in creation. He treated every creature with profound kindness, humility, and respect. Legends say he preached to flocks of birds, asking them to praise God, and he is even said to have tamed a wolf that was frightening people in the town of Gubbio. He wrote the poetic Canticle of the Creatures in praise of all living things.
Blessing of animals has deep Christian roots
While modern pet blessings are tied to St. Francis, the practice of blessing animals has even deeper historical roots. Early Christian farmers and rural communities often sought blessings for their livestock upon which their survival depended. Early figures like St. Anthony of Egypt (St. Anthony the Abbot who lived in the Egyptian desert) in the 3rd and 4th centuries was called upon to bless the animals much earlier.
In Italy and various traditional European regions, animals were historically blessed twice a year: on St. Anthony’s feast day (January 17) and St. Francis’s feast day (October 4).
Today, the October pet blessing has transcended Roman Catholicism, being widely practiced across Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and other Christian denominations.