Animals Honored at Annual Blessings

Animals of all varieties will be blessed, sprinkled with holy water and ritually honored during several ceremonies planned in the Valley in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.

“He was really the medieval equivalent of a hippie,” said Kenlyn Kanouse, director of Christian education at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Studio City. “He was associated with a love of nature and, according to legend, was able to calm wild animals. The bless the animals ceremonies help us all remember that without nature and without our fellow creatures we’d all be less enriched.”

* A blessing of the animals ceremony and pet fair will be held today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Metropolitan Community College, 5730 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood. The day also will include a memorial service for deceased pets, a presentation on first aid for animals, pet adoptions, a mobile groomer, and a pet photographer.

* On Monday, a llama, a tiger, a chimpanzee and other wild animals harbored at the Wildlife Waystation in Angeles National Forest will be blessed by Father Doug Glassman of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica. Following the ceremony, about 50 church parishioners will tour the 160-acre wildlife rehabilitation center, which currently houses over 1,000 wild animals. The center is located at 14831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road.

“I think this is an opportunity to honor animals and reinforce our commitment to them,” said Wildlife Waystation founder Martine Colette. “It also says to people there is a place for animals with God.”

* Also Monday, students of St. Michael’s Episcopal Parish Day School in Studio City will bring their pets to school for a morning blessing to be conducted by Kanouse.

“I hope this reminds us all that it’s important to be kind to all creation, and St. Francis was a stellar example of that,” Kanouse said.