Blessings bestowed upon 4-legged friends

The animals came from all over town to receive blessings at the annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony Oct. 25 at the Mary Warner Mack Dog Park on the Anne Springs Close Greenway’s Adventure Road site.

The blessings were administered by the Rev. Sally Franklin, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fort Mill.

“We are gathered in celebration of all God’s creations, especially the pets that God has entrusted to us and who bring us so much joy,” she said.

This is the 11th year the service has been held by the church, though this is the first year its been held at the Mary Warner Mack Dog Park, which opened last spring.

Dawn Dudley is a member of St. Paul’s and has attended the ceremony many times in the past with her dog Angus.

“My favorite part is seeing all the animals receive their blessings,” she said. “Some, like Angus, could really use it.”

With the venue change this year, the blessings were more accessible to horse owners because of the equestrian trails on the greenway. Six horses, along with about 15 dogs, received an individual prayer for their health and happiness in the coming years. A full service including prayer, a reading and a special song was held before the individual blessings were given.

The Blessings of the Animals ceremony is held in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and author of the Canticle of the Creatures. Churches around the country hold ceremonies to bless pets of all kinds, from dogs and cats, ferrets, rabbits and more.

The ceremony usually falls on the weekend around Oct. 4 to honor St. Francis’ death in 1226, but this year had to be pushed back due to rain earlier this month.

This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Blessings bestowed upon 4-legged friends."