Annual Blessing of the Animals in Downtown Brighton

1. St. Paul's Episcopal Church invites the community and their pets for the Annual Blessing of the Animals on Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. at the Millpond Gazebo.

2. The tradition of blessing animals dates back to St. Francis who the late 12th Century preached to the birds and is reported to have helped heal a wolf. St. Francis had a profound love for all creatures as part of God's good creation.

3. Each year St. Paul's Episcopal Church invites members of the community to bring their pets to take part in the service of blessing. This year's Blessing of the Animals, in honor of St. Francis, will take place at the Millpond Gazebo, due to construction on the St. Paul's building.

"Last year for the Blessing of the Animals we had the normal cats and dogs but a few chickens also made an appearance along with a rabbit and a stuffed ferret," said the Rev. Deon Johnson, priest at St. Paul's. "Not only do we honor and bless pets as part of the ceremony we also give thanks for beloved companions who have died. Animals have a tremendous ability to remind us about God's unconditional love and we try to honor that."

4. Anyone in the community is invited to attend the Blessing of the Animals. Dogs should be brought on a leash and cats and other small animals are invited to be in carriers.