Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School held its first Blessing of the Pets ceremony to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, nearly 12 years ago. On Friday, October 4, we continued this tradition with our annual Blessing of the Pets for students and families of our school to gather together along with their pet.
Each year, one of the most exciting parts of the ceremony is seeing the different pets each student has as part of their family. From large dogs to tiny mice, we have had all types of pets here, some of which have grown with the students at Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School Regardless of how big or small they are, we want to give them the opportunity to be blessed.
Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in the 12th century. Throughout much of his adult life, Sts. Francis of Assisi spent preaching of the beauty and magnificence of nature, animals, and the environment. Additionally, he was the first saint to receive the stigmata of Christ, which resembles the wounds that Jesus Christ suffered when crucified. The Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi is October 4 and commemorates his life and love for animals and environment.
Importance of Blessing of the Pets
The purpose of this ceremony stemmed from St. Francis of Assisi and his love, compassion, and care for animals. One of the most important things we want to emphasize through celebrating the life of St. Francis of Assisi is to teach students the importance and responsibility of taking care of their pets and God’s creatures.
“Blessing of the Pets is a wonderful tradition at Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School that our students and families look forward to each year. The outpouring of support we receive for this event is clearly evident as we have a wide variety of more than 100 pets in attendance. The Blessing of the Pets is a hands-on way for our students to learn about the responsibility of taking care of all of God’s creatures,” said Kimberly Gothreaux, Principal of Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School.
Enjoy photos from this year’s Blessing of the Pets of some of our students, families, and their pets. We are so grateful for all of those who attended and look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
About Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School
Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School has been providing Catholic school education for 60 years. The mission of Sts. Leo-Seton Catholic School is to teach as Jesus did, building a community of believers dedicated to serving others, while providing excellent academics with a nurturing environment. For more information on how to join our family, please contact us today.
