Celebrating the Feast Day of St. Francis
by the Rev. Kevin McGrane,
Priest-in-Charge at Trinity Episcopal Church, St. James
and Creation Care Ministry Chair
Are you looking for a resource to celebrate St. Francis Day at your parish?
The Feast of St. Francis is celebrated on October 4. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment and worship inspired by this Feast typically includes pet blessings, prayers for environmental protection and conservation, and a call to a lifestyle based in simplicity and service of others.
Download this comprehensive resource to plan a Blessing of the Animals service, a St. Francis Day service, or to find story books and historical resources about St. Francis of Assisi.
Download this Blessing of the Animals services in Spanish, published by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
A prayer attributed to St. Francis:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light; and
where there is sadness, joy.
O, God, grant that I 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.
Tags: News / Creation Care