Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, at 37015 Orange Valley Lane in Dade City, had a Blessing of the Animals service on Oct. 7 to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, who was known for his affinity for animals. People brought their animals to be blessed, and shared a potluck meal together.
Though this is the first Blessing of the Animals that the church has hosted, the pastor says he began blessing in California in 1989 and has been doing so ever since. He plans to hold an annual blessing of the animals in October at the Dade City church. He said that the event is important because the word ‘animal’ comes from the Latin word ‘anima,’ which means ‘spirit.’ “Every living thing has the spirit in them,” the pastor said. “We have an obligation to the anima of the Earth to do this.”
