STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Celebrate St. Francis Sunday with the Blessing of the Animals.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church will have a special service in Sun Valley Festival Meadow for its annual blessing. Dogs, cats, lizards, donkeys—all are welcome.

The service begins at 9:30 a.m. and the blessings begin at 10 a.m. Participants should bring their own chairs.

The four-legged faithful in the past have included German shepherds, Corgis, yellow labs, Australian shepherds, Shih Tzus and golden retrievers. And, unlike two-legged congregants who can be shy, they are quick to greet each other—nose to nose and nose to butt.

One woman attended a Blessing of the Animals to receive a blessing of comfort for Pumpkin, a 14-year-old German shepherd with a nerve disease. A child brought her stuffed animal to be blessed.

The Blessing of the Animals is performed throughout the world each October in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. St. Francis was a special friend to animals, taming those who terrorized Italian villages in the early 13th century. He was so close to the heart of God that he took on a vow of poverty.

The Episcopalian Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City has hosted a variety of exotic animals at its blessings, including an elephant, camel, llamas, cow and even a giraffe.