In early October each year––specifically, on the Sunday on or preceding October 4, which is the feast of Saint Francis––we offer a service of blessing, for animals large and small, to all of New Haven, at the Wooster Street park that abuts the Saint Paul & Saint James property.
We give thanks for the saint who loved animals:
"A holy man, who prayed and laughed,
Who loved all creatures as he loved his God.
He called all creation his brother and his sister;
The sun, the moon, the water, and the wind,
And every animal and bird and every human soul.
He loved the poor and spent his days among them so to help.
He loved his friends and enemies as well;
He helped the lonely and the sad.
A Christ-like man so full of joy.
He sang alone and sang in company.
A saint we honor, unselfish, humble, pure in spirit, full of grace,
We come to celebrate the birthday of this Saint.
We come to praise God in gratitude
For the life and example of this holy man."
We sing the Canticle of Saint Francis:
All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voices, let us sing: Alleluia, alleluia!
Bright burning sun with golden beams
pale silver moon that gently gleams,
O praise God, O praise God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! . . .
Then critters of many kinds receive blessings in which "we entreat [God] mercifully to behold these [God's] creatures" and "bless, keep and protect them" with God's heavenly benediction.
And we sing yet again: "He's got [Name] the [Variety of Animal] in his hands." As these pictures show, a marvelous time is had by both animals and people.
Finally, we pray with the prayer attributed to Saint Francis:
Lord, make us an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
