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Blessing of the Animals
Written By: Ann Self - The Village Green | Issue: 2017/09 - September
The Church of the Good Shepherd in Cashiers observes the annual tradition of the Blessing of the Animals.
People are invited to bring all varieties of pets at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 30, to The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road. Gather on the lawn for a parade of animals, prayers, music and celebration of all of God’s creatures. Over the years, ministers of the Church of the Good Shepherd have blessed a menagerie of pets at the service including horses, llamas, goats, sheep, guinea pigs as well as many cats and dogs.
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, contact the Church of the Good Shepherd at goodshepherdofcashiers.com or (828) 743-2359.
