Blessing of Animals

St. Francis’ Annual Blessing For All Animals, October 4th

1 Comment / Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

On Saturday, October 4th St. Francis parish will hold its annual Blessing For All Animals at 1 p.m. Bring your dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, ferrets, turtles, lizards, for a special St. Francis blessing…

Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

Directions to St. Francis parish: Take Southern State Parkway to exit 25N (RT-106 N) toward East Meadow for about a half mile. Turn left onto East Meadow Avenue for approximately 1 mile. Turn left onto Harton Avenue. Harton Avenue is off East Meadow Avenue between Pietro’s Pizzeria and the Chinese Take-Out.

blessing of animals flyer 2014

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Blessing Of The Animals

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

St. Francis’ Annual Blessing Of The Animals will be held on Saturday, October 5th at 1:00 p.m.

Bring your dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, ferrets, turtles, lizards, for a special St. Francis blessing…

Blessing For All Animals

Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

St. Francis PNC Church – 81 years in East Meadow – 1932-2013

Directions: Take Southern State Parkway to exit 25N (RT-106 N) toward EAST MEADOW for about a half mile. Turn LEFT onto E. MEADOW AVE for approx. 1 mile. Turn LEFT onto HARTON AVE. HARTON AVE. is off EAST MEADOW AVE between Pietro’s Pizzeria and Chinese Take-Out.

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Photos from St. Francis’ Annual Animal Blessing

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

St. Francis was passionately devoted to God. His every action was motivated by his love for God. He adopted a simple lifestyle. Because all his trust was in God, and not in possessions. He believed every man and women was his brother and sister. It was easy for him to embrace a love of nature and for all God`s creatures – because he understood everything was created by God and thus everything is good.

In honoring St. Francis, on Saturday, October 6,2012, St. Francis Church set aside a day for the blessing of animals and invited and welcomed all to enter the Church for a special service and a blessing for each creature. Like St. Francis, we try to be humble and believe every action is performed not to bring glory to our services, but to God.

Hear our humble prayer, O God,
for our friends the animals,
especially for animals who are suffering;
for animals that are overworked,
underfed and cruelly treated;
for all wistful creatures in captivity
that beat their wings against bars;
for any that are hunted or lost or deserted
or frightened or hungry;
for all that must be put death.
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them
we ask a heart of compassion
and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals,
and so to share the blessings of the merciful. – Albert Schweitzer

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Annual Blessing of Animals

Community Events, Liturgical, Parish Life, PNCC /

St. Francis parish will hold its annual Blessing of Animals in Commemoration of our patron, St. Francis of Assisi on Saturday, October 6th at 1p.m.

Bring your dogs, cats, hamsters, gerbils, birds, fish, ferrets, turtles, lizards, etc. for a special St. Francis blessing…

Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

Directions to St. Francis: Take Southern State Parkway to exit 25N (RT-106 N) toward EAST MEADOW for about a half mile. Turn LEFT onto E. MEADOW AVE for approx. 1 mile. Turn LEFT onto HARTON AVE. HARTON AVE. is off EAST MEADOW AVE between Pietro’s Pizzeria and Best Kitchen Chinese.

Call 516-794-5189 for information.

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Upcoming Events

Community Events, Parish Life /

Labor Day

Monday, September 5th, this holiday is in honor of laborers. Please say a prayer for all workers, that they be treated justly and be paid fairly for their work. Remember too all those who work for our common good as civil servants, fire fighters, police officers and similar professions. Our summer season now comes to a close and schools re-open. Drive Carefully!

Patriot Day

Sunday, September 11th, marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States. Come to a beautiful, moving, free sunrise memorial service at Town Park Point Lookout at 7:30 a.m. on September 11th. Find closure…Pray for those victims, pray for their families, our nation…Pray for Peace!

Blessing of Animals and Fall Anniversary Dinner

The date for our Fall Dinner and Anniversary celebration is set for Sunday, October 2nd, at 3 p.m. The day before our dinner, Saturday, October 1st, we will conduct our annual “Blessing of the Animals” at 1 p.m. All are welcomed!

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Pet Blessing memories

Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

Check out this article from the Neighborhood Files at EastMeadowPatch along with some great photos by author, Kim Plummer: Animal Instincts: Pets Receive Blessings at St. Francis Church

Residents and parishioners gather at St. Francis Church with their cats, dogs and fish for the annual blessing of the animals.

Residents, parishioners, cats, dogs and fish gathered at St. Francis Catholic Church on Saturday for the blessing of the animals.

Saint Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. Traditionally, Catholic churches hold ceremonies to bless animals during the Feast of St. Francis on Oct. 4.

“Saint Francis referred to all animals as brothers and sisters, and it was reported that wild animals had no fear of him,” Thomas Kompa, parishoner, said during the ceremony.

St. Francis Catholic Church holds the annual event on the weekend so that more community members can attend. The church has held the blessing annually for the past 20 years.

Father Andrew Koterba said a prayer for all of the animals in attendance, as well as blessings for sick animals. In the spirit of St. Francis, Father Koterba encouraged those in attendance to help animals and our environment however they can: build a bird feeder, donate to an animal shelter, grow a garden or recycle.

For Joan McGratti of Wantagh having their cats blessed with her husband and daughters has become an annual tradition. Joan, her husband, Bill, and their two daughters, Lana and Laura, as well as each of their cats have been attending the ceremony for the past six years.

“It’s a beautiful and inviting Church, and it’s great that our cats are invited to be here, too, inside of the Church,” said Joan McGratti while holding her black cat, Raven.

For other pet owners it was their first time having their animals blessed. Jiselle MacDonald and her daughter Natalie brought their cat, Vinnie. Vinnie was dressed appropriately with a collar and black bow tie for the event.

“Vinnie is like a member of our family,” said Jiselle MacDonald, an East Meadow resident who moved here two years ago. “This morning my daughter was asking me if this was his Christening.”

Like MacDonald, most pet owners consider the ceremony an important way to strengthen bonds between a family and their pet. Carlo and Carla Calabrese, with their daughter Adrianna, brought their 2-year-old dog Daisy to be blessed for the third time.

“We want her to be protected fully. This is kind of like her baptism,” Carla Calabrese said. “Daisy is a major part of our family.”

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Blessing of the Animals

Community Events, Parish Life, PNCC /

St. Francis Parish will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 2nd at 1 p.m. We are also celebrating our 78th Anniversary! St. Francis PNC Church — 1932-2010!

Bring your hamsters, gerbils, dogs, cats, birds, fish, ferrets, lizards, etc. for a special St. Francis blessing… even the NCPD Mounted Unit will be there!

Blessed are you, Lord God, Maker of all living creatures, On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all animals his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this animal. By the power of your love enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.

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