At the Blessing of the Animals today at Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Pet owners turned out this morning for the annual Blessing of the Animals at Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish on Avenue B at Ninth Street.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to watch Pastor Will in action in this celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

There was a variety of doggos... and one owner even brought his late pet in a cremation box... 

2 chances to bless your pets this weekend

There are two opportunities to have your pets blessed this weekend... in the annual celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. 

Tomorrow (Saturday!) at Immaculate Conception on 14th Street at First Avenue ... the Blessing of Animals takes place at 1 p.m. in front of the church. 

And on Sunday, the Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish on Avenue B at Ninth Street will hold their annual event.  

Per the EVG inbox... 

There are two opportunities to have your pets blessed: 

• At 11 a.m., well-behaved pets are invited to join us for worship, which will begin with the Blessing of Animals and continue with Holy Communion, where everyone is welcome. 

• At 1 p.m., a brief blessing will be given outdoors in Trinity's garden (weather permitting), perfect for pets on the move and those who might be too rambunctious to join us indoors.

This weekend in pet blessings

You have two opportunities this weekend to have your pets blessed ...

SATURDAY



The annual Blessing of Animals will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. in front of Immaculate Conception Church, 414 E. 14th St. near First Avenue.

Per the flyer, none of the involved parties needs to be Catholic to be blessed.

SUNDAY



On Sunday, the pet blessings take place in the east yard at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, 10th Street and Second Avenue.

Longtime churchgoers say that someone once brought a camel. Per a church rep: "We don't think that's likely this time but we're hoping for a pig or so!" Do you hear that Giblet?

The weekend is also a celebration of St. Francis — he loved animals you know. As we first reported in 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas live nativity scene.

St. Francis of Assisi hosts First Nativity Scene; 'there goes the neighborhod'

[Photo illustration by Derek Berg]

Earlier tonight, St. Francis recreated the scene of Christ's birth in a special ritual and Mass he held inside of a cave believed to be in a lawless part of New Amsterdman, inviting both his fellow friars and the townspeople to join in the celebration.

According to EVG reader St. Bonaventure: "The brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise."

Another reader worried about the tourists and newbie settlers who may start flocking to this area, driving up the price of settlements and ushering in an era of more fur traders. Per the reader: "Great, another place selling beaver pelts."