St.  Francis is one of the most outstanding and beloved of all the saints. He was an exceptional man who lived an amazing life. He was born rich, fought in the Crusades, spent a year in prison, had mystical visions, and was on the vanguard of helping the poor and the sick . He is the Patron Saint of Animals and the Patron Saint of Ecology ( the Environment).

Saint Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181 to a family of moneyed fabric merchants. In 1204 he suffered a severe sickness and it was during this time that his conversion to a more spiritual life began to germinate. He had a number of mystical visions and began helping the poor and the sick.  Francis attracted a small band of followers and in 1209 he founded the Franciscan Order.

In many ways St. Francis was ahead of his time, perhaps a thousand years ahead! He recognized  the inter-connectiveness of all life on Earth, that each creature and plant and human is connected and is essential . It is what has come to be known as the Web of Life. This deep idea grew out of St. Francis’s love for God .  Because God deserves to be respected and honored, he belived  that we should love and respect all that He created. He saw God in all of creation.

Saint Francis had a specific love for  nature and the animal kingdom . It is said that he could speak to animals and he had several noted encounters with them. One  concerned  a wolf in the town of Gubbio.  The town was being terrified by the wolf that was killing their livestock . The townspeople asked Saint Francis for help . He tracked the wolf and came upon him in the hills beyond the town. He demanded it to stop killing and not to hurt anyone. The wolf  listened and lay down at Francis’s feet. To the amazement of the people, St. Francis returned to Gubbio with the wolf at his side and he then fed the animal . He then promised the people of Gubbio that if they would continue to feed the wolf it would no longer cause any harm .  It ws due to hunger that the wolf was killing . The  townspeople and the wolf became friends. By taming the wolf of Gubbio , St. Francis taught the people not to be afraid and to love and respect the wolf.

Another time  Saint Francis and his followers were traveling when the trees surrounding them were abruptly filled with birds. St. Francis took the opportunity to actually preach to the birds. They stayed and listened, not one flew away .

St. Francis’s love of animals is reflected and carried out today in the Animal Blessings that are held throughout much of the globe. Though Animal Blessings pre-date St. Francis, most modern day Animal Blessing festivals are associated with Francis and are normally held on or around his feast day in early October.

One of the oldest blessing of the animals celebrations is the Olvera Street Blessing in Los Angeles .  It is held on the original site of Los Angeles and dates back to about 1781. 

The largest and certainly one of the most dramatic animal blessings takes place at  New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine  . Held each year on the first Sunday of October, it   draws several thousand people and their dogs, cats and various pets from across the United States and Canada . The highlight of this celebration is the amazing  Procession of Animals which often includes elephants, camels, llamas, snakes, horses, farm animals and turtles among many others.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine began this event in 1985, on the Feast of Saint Francis, to attract attention to the of the Earth’s environment and to honor  the diversity of life on our planet .

 St. Francis’s theology  has mammoth  application to twenty first century . Francis  recognised that we are all interdependent and equally responsible for all life on  Earth . He spoke out against the destruction of the planet.  Not only the Church, but also the scientific community chose Saint Francis as the Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment  .  Because of people like Saint Francis,  we will find alternative ways to live in the 21st century.

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