Blessing of the Animals - It has become a tradition in many churches to conduct a blessing of animals on the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So, on Sunday, October 2nd at 1:15p.m., we will have such a ceremony at St. Thomas More to give thanks to God for our animal companions and to pray for their continued good health. There will also be an opportunity for anyone whose pet has died within the past year to acknowledge that loss in a formal way. At a certain point in the ceremony, they will be invited to come forward and mention the name of the pet, how he/she died and one thing that made that animal companion so special in their lives. All God’s creatures are welcome.