Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This week on October 4th, the Church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved saints in our Catholic tradition. St. Francis is often pictured surrounded by birds, deer, or even a friendly wolf, and rightly so: he had a deep reverence for all of God’s creation. Yet it is important to remember that St. Francis was not simply a gentle animal lover. He was, above all, a fervent disciple of Jesus Christ.
St. Francis gave up wealth, comfort, and status to follow the Lord with his whole heart. He embraced poverty so that nothing would come between him and God. He preached the Gospel with boldness, sought reconciliation where there was division, and lived with such authenticity that people of every walk of life were drawn to Christ through him. His love for animals and creation flowed from this deeper love for the Creator Himself.
In honor of St. Francis, we will celebrate our annual Blessing of Animals this Saturday at 10:30am in the lower parking lot. Bring your pets, great or small, as we ask God’s blessing upon them and give thanks for the joy they bring into our lives. In the past we’ve blessed tons of dogs and cats, along with some more unique pets like rabbits, horses, tarantulas, and a chinchilla.
If you’re reading this on Sunday and missed the blessing, know that all pets of our parish were lifted up to the Lord in prayers of gratitude as they reveal to us the creativity of the Creator.
Through the intercession of St. Francis, may we learn to follow Christ with the same single-minded devotion and to see God’s presence in all His creation.
I’ll include here a bonus prayer that St. Francis actually wrote:
“O Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out your holy and true command. Amen.”
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor
PS – I do still have a few spots left on the pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, and Orvieto for June 2026! We will spend a few days in St. Francis’ home town, diving deep into his life and how the Lord worked in and through him. It’s not too late to sign up!