NORWALK—The Blessing of Animals has become a much anticipated and favorite tradition at St. Matthew Parish in Norwalk to commemorate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi and commend our beloved pets to the protection of our heavenly Father.
Beginning at 3 pm last Sunday (October7) in the parish Grotto, people brought all sorts of dogs from a little Papillon to large Husky, various felines and even a bunny!
Msgr. Walter Orlowski, Pastor of St. Matthew, sprinkled all the pets with holy water and then individually blessed every pet whose owner asked him to do so.
This Blessing of Animals is conducted in remembrance of Saint Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.
St. Francis, whose feast day is October 4th, 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.”
Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers by Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, National Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved this prayer:
“The animals of God’s creation inhabit the skies, the earth, and the sea. They share in the ways of human beings. They have a part in our lives. Francis of Assisi recognized this when he called the animals, wild and tame, his brothers and sisters.
Remembering Francis’ love for these brothers and sisters of ours, we invoke God’s blessing on these animals, and we thank God for letting us share the earth with all the creatures…
O God, you have done all things wisely; in your goodness you have made us in your image and given us care over other living things. Reach out with your right hand and grant that these animals may serve our needs and that your bounty in the resources of this life may move us to seek more confidently the goal of eternal life.”
St. Matthew Church is located at 216 Scribner Avenue Norwalk, CT 06854. Telephone: 203.838.378. On the web: www.stmatthewnorwalk.org
