Animals blessed around the Archdiocese (Photos)
The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4 is a particularly joyous and popular celebration in the Church. Local parishes across the Archdiocese of Newark draw larger-than-usual crowds for the feast – with many in attendance standing on four legs, not two.
The Blessing of the Animals is a much-anticipated event that brings a variety of beloved pets – from dogs to cats, birds to lizards, horses to hamsters, and everything in between – to be blessed during the celebration of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.
This year, rain or shine, the animals came to church. View pictures of the happy day from a variety of parishes below.
