Tiburahn, center, receives a blessing from the Rev. Eileen Smith Le Van, of Peace Lutheran Church, during the annual Blessing of the Animals in 2016. Tiburahn brought his human, Pat Coe, right. Photo by Trina Kleist

October 13, 2017 – Farm stock, fish, pheasants and furry creatures great and small will be welcomed at a Blessing of the Animals at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, at Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley.

Humans may attend if accompanied by a responsible pet.

This free event commemorates St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian playboy who accepted God’s call to selfless love and service. Francis believed all nature mirrored the Divine. Legend holds that he fed starving bees in the winter and calmed a marauding wolf, brokering a deal between terrified villagers and the hungry canine, according to “Little Flowers of St. Francis,” an early hagiography. His feast day is Oct. 4.

For more information, visit www.PeaceLutheranGV.org or call Peace Lutheran Church at (530) 273-9631.