Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today's pet blessings on his feast day might have seemed strange to the 13th century saint

By Mary Dzon, Associate Professor of English, University of Tennessee

Each year, if you happen to be in New York around Oct. 4, you may catch sight of something unusual: a whole menagerie of animals being welcomed into the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, from spaniels and parrots to even the occasional camel or cow.

Since the end of the 20th century, it has become more and more common in the United States for animals and their human companions to be blessed on or around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.…

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