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All God’s Creatures
Written By: Ann Self - The Village Green | Issue: 2019/10 - October
People are invited to bring all varieties of pets for the annual Blessing of the Animals at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, October 5, to The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road in Cashiers.
Gather on the lawn for a parade of animals, prayers, music and celebration of all of God’s creatures. Over the years, local ministers have blessed a menagerie of pets at the service, including horses, llamas, goats, sheep, guinea pigs as well as many cats and dogs. Started as a tradition in the Cashiers community by the Church of the Good Shepherd, each animal receives a special blessing.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation for the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society. Besides a monetary gift, items like blankets, rugs, towels, Milk Bones, unscented cat litter and canned dog and cat food are useful as well as always needed.
The Village Green will provide water and trash cans for the animals, which must be leashed or otherwise secured and under the owners’ control at all times.
The tradition of animal or pet blessings is in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all of God’s creatures. St. Francis, whose feast day is October 4, wrote “A Canticle of the Creatures,” an ode to God’s living things: “All praise to you, O Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.”
For more information about event, email [email protected] or call (828) 743-3434.
The Village Green provides a beautiful, free public space, however it is a nonprofit organization that depends on contributions to maintain the park and provide such an exceptional venue for the community. To learn more about The Village Green and these events or to make a donation, visit VillageGreenCashiersNC.com.
