A long-time tradition of St. James, the "Blessing of the Animals," is held on the first Sunday of October. All pets are welcome -- real or not. Here's a little background on the tradition.

Conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assissi's love for all creatures, a procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and even horses, is led to churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of Animals.

Francis, whose feast day is October 4, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey. Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” And there was testimony in the cause for St. Clare of Assisi’s canonization that referred to her little cat!

See where you fall statistically when it comes to national pet figures:

• 44.8 millon: Households that own a dog.
• 38.4 millon: Households that own a cat. Also, and unfortunately, there are over 60 million feral (homeless and stray) cats in the United States today.
• 6.4 million: Households that have a bird.

The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love. No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing. Church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated.

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. 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! Amen.”

We encourage you to be a responsible pet owner -- vaccinate, provide shelter and plenty of water all year round, and spay/neuter your pets.