A St Francis Day reflection on the animals we welcome into our lives and the creatures we too often leave outside our circle of concern.
On the Feast of St Francis, churches around the world welcome animals through their doors to be blessed. Dogs join their human companions beside pews, cats peer out from carriers and congregations give thanks for the creatures with whom we share our homes and lives.
At St Mary the Virgin in Henbury, where Jae serves, animals were welcomed into church for a blessing as part of this year’s celebration.
There is something deeply beautiful about blessing the animals we love. But perhaps St Francis also invites us to ask a more difficult question. What about the animals who will never be brought into our churches to be blessed? What about the creatures whose lives remain largely hidden from us, particularly those farmed for food?
