Originally published at The Crux
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LEICESTER, United Kingdom – Dogs, cats and the occasional rabbit will be filing into churches this Saturday, Oct. 3, for one of the most popular rites of the year: The blessing of animals.
The custom is tied to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, normally marked on Oct. 4. Because that falls on a Sunday in 2026, many parishes are holding their pet blessings a day early.
Why animals?
St. Francis of Assisi wrote Laudes creaturarum – commonly called “The Canticle of the Creatures” – in around 1225 while recovering from an illness at San Damiano, Italy. In this prayer, St. Francis blesses God for all creation.
Franciscan-run churches have blessed animals on the feast of their founder for decades. This practice has spread to many parishes – not just those run by Franciscans – in the English-speaking world.
“We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures,” is the version Franciscan Media issues of the prayer said by many priests around the world on
