All Creatures Great and Small

Camel Blessing Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Jesus, Sovereign of the Earth 

By you all things were created 
All creeping things, all flying things, 
All living things, all dying things, 
The highest hills, the deepest seas, 
The strongest gale, the slightest breeze, 
The blossom on a cherry tree, 
A spinning spider’s artistry, 
The smell of dry earth after rain, 
Each cell within a human brain, 
Each fallen leaf, each towering pine, 
Reveals your intricate design. 

Creator God, we stand amazed, 
And for your earth, we give you praise... 

adapted from an A Rocha prayer

As I let our two cats, Merlin and Arthur, out the door for the first of perhaps 2,000 times in the day (that may be a slight exaggeration) I blessed them with the sign of the cross and in the name of God the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. They weren't the slightest bit impressed and Ruth may have been questioning my sanity, especially since I may dish out more curses than blessings to our insistent felines. I reminded her that this is the Feast of St. Francis and it is traditional for the Roman Catholic church to bless animals, a practice adopted my many other denominations now, including lots of United Church congregations.




I have conducted lots of pet blessing services through the years with varied attendance -- a handful of pets and people at some, upwards of 50 at others. I envy congregations who take the "go big or go home" approach. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City has a Francis Fair this coming Sunday which sounds wonderful. (see below)

As much as I enjoy blessing companion animals I wonder if the focus of this day needs to be broadened so that we might ponder creatures great and small in our oceans and in the air and forests and plains. We are constantly hearing about the effects of habitat loss and climate change on species numbers and biodiversity. Just a few days ago it was reported that North America has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970, a staggering number. This is a curse upon these creatures and it is largely the result of human activity. 

I do consider our cats a blessing, most of the time, and I'm grateful that we share life together. Today I will be mindful of the diverse world that God the Creator has brought into being and our role in caring for it. 




St. Francis Day Fair with Pet Blessings and the Great Animal Costume Parade

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2019 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM

JOIN US FOR A FULL AFTERNOON OF FUN AND FESTIVITIES TO CELEBRATE SAINT FRANCIS, THE PATRON SAINT OF ANIMALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, ON THE LUSH GROUNDS OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST GOTHIC CATHEDRAL!

All people and pets are encouraged to dress as their favorite animal in honor of Saint Francis. The day will feature activities for kids of all ages, appearances by the Mettawee River Dance Theatre, food trucks, pet adoption agencies, and more! Priests will be available to bless pets for the duration of the Fair.

At 2 pm, the Great Animal Costume Parade will commence and all in costume will be invited to circle the Cathedral grounds showcasing their fantastic animal costumes to the community, culminating in a ceremony awarding prizes in one of our 7 categories and celebrating Best In Show!

The award categories are:

Most incredible insect
Best mythical creature
Most magnificent mammal
Best ancient animal
Most precious peacock
Most super ocean dweller
Most fantastic beast