Tomorrow is the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi, the man known amongst animal rescuers and pet owners around the world as the patron saint of animals.
It is on this day that many churches across the country, and the world, hold ceremonies to bless the animals. One such blessing will take place on the island of Oahu in Waianae, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
Father Sebastian Chako of Sacred Heart Parish in Waianae will bless all creatures large and small. He has done it many times — from elephants to tiny fish. So far, though, the blessing of a peacock has eluded him.
"I have blessed a wild turkey," he said, "but never a peacock."
That could change come the Feast Day of St. Francis on Oct. 4, when the former African missionary who hails from India performs the blessing-of-the-animals ceremony on the great lawn at Our Lady of Kea'au, a sublime 58-acre Franciscan retreat on a hillside overlooking the sea.Read more here about the animal blessing ceremony:
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Sep/24/ln/hawaii709240330.htmlWhy is Saint Francis named the patron saint of animals?
Francis' brotherhood included all of God's creation. Much has been written about Francis' love of nature but his relationship was deeper than that. We call someone a lover of nature if they spend their free time in the woods or admire its beauty. But Francis really felt that nature, all God's creations, were part of his brotherhood. The sparrow was as much his brother as the pope.
In one famous story, Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God's care. The story tells us the birds stood still as he walked among him, only flying off when he said they could leave.
Another famous story involves a wolf that had been eating human beings. Francis intervened when the town wanted to kill the wolf and talked the wolf into never killing again. The wolf became a pet of the townspeople who made sure that he always had plenty to eat. Go here to read more about the life of Saint Francis:
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, Saint Francis provides all human beings with the most excellent example of how animals should be treated in our society and demonstrates to all what it truly means to live a humane life that values and appreciates animals.
News Quotes Courtesy of The Honolulu Advertiser.Article Quotes Courtesy of Catholic.org.Photo Courtesy of Best Friends Network. Photo taken by Jennifer Hayes of Reverend Bruce Wilson performing pet blessings.