A Blessed Event for Children and Their Pets : Traditions: About 20 animals are anointed in the back yard of a school. It marks the 764th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

There were dogs and cats and parakeets. And a wild pigeon and a tortoise. And a field rat and a goat and one stuffed teddy bear.

In all there were about 20 animals Friday in the back yard of a Santa Paula elementary school, and each was there to be blessed.

Father Roberto Feguero, a Franciscan priest, stood solemnly on a podium in front of a collage put together by the seventh-graders. The collage depicted barefooted St. Francis of Assisi--with his beard and halo and monk’s robe--smiling at pink horses, yellow bulls and red parrots.

The real animals were in cages, boxes, on tight leashes and in their masters’ arms. The children were very quiet and were not distracted, their eyes fixed on the podium. The mothers and grandparents standing nearby looked at their children and smiled. Father Roberto was holding an open Bible.

The boys and girls had learned at Santa Barbara Catholic School in Santa Paula that St. Francis, who loved all animals, had gone to heaven many years ago. Friday they celebrated the 764th anniversary of that occasion with a blessing of the animals.

“We try to incorporate as many Catholic traditions as possible, and this is a fun one,” said seventh-grade teacher Regina Stehly, who helped organize the blessing, the first since the school opened three years ago.

“Especially today, we need to have a greater appreciation of the gift of nature.”

Father Roberto looked at the flock gathered about him and nodded approvingly. Then he looked down at his Bible, turned a page and started reciting in Spanish:

“Blessed are all the little animals that our Your creation. For them we give You thanks.”

Stehly, who was standing next to the priest, offered a similar blessing in English. Then she asked the youngsters to form a line with their animals so the anointing could begin.

Father Roberto pulled a sprinkler from a bronze bucket and proceeded to spray the animals and the children’s sleeves with drops of Holy Water.

In less than 15 minutes, the ceremony was over and the children dispersed.

Vicente Guerrero, 8, was the last one to leave. He was crouched near the podium, looking into a bird cage that was shared by Vicente’s gray pigeon and his little brown rat with the long white tail, neither of which had names.

Vicente’s eyes were big and moist.

“I had them blessed so that nothing happens to them,” he whispered. “I brought them so they can live forever.”