Blessing of animals

October 4th is the feast of our patron saint, Francis of Assisi. To commemorate this event, being the patron saint of nature, ecology and animals, the Blessing of Animals was held just before school ended on October 3rd. All the children gathered in the back of the school, most of them with their pets, brought over by their parents. There were lizards, hamsters, guinea pigs, fish and a menagerie of dogs, from pugs to labradoodles, from cocker spaniels to labradors, from pomeranians to german shepherds, and a few mixes. 

 

Father Julian started the ceremony by playing on the flute the hymn "The Prayer of Saint Francis", accompanied by the school choir, then recited the prayer of blessing and went around blessing each individual pet, some of whom were surprised by the holy water, but all in all, they were well-behaved, even quieting down during the prayer of blessing, and barking only out of joy on seeing so many other furry friends. Many children also brought their stuffed animals to be blessed.