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Rev. Roy Tuff began the "Blessing of the Animals" at Saint Stephen's Episcopal School with a story about St. Francis. Click here to see the Mini-singers debut at the "Blessing of the Animals" at St. Stephen's Episcopal School. |
BRADENTON – Take a moment to visit Assisi, Italy, and in the heart of the city is St. Mary of the Angels church, which engulfs the smaller Porziucola chapel inside, rebuilt from ruins by St. Francis of Assisi.
Imagine that two living doves are always found in the corridor of the cathedral, together in a nest beside a stone window. How they got there and how they manage to live inside the building is a mystery.
Ask the cathedral’s parishioners about the tame doves, and they say they are the little miracle of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Rev. Roy Tuff stood on the grounds of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in front of the prekindergarten through sixth-grade children and their pets, who were invited to attend the Blessing of the Animals celebration.
”Has anyone ever heard of St. Francis?“ Tuff asked.
A few children nodded their heads and raised their hands. Other children chased after their pets or hugged them tight to keep still last Friday, October 9.
”St. Francis lived a very long time ago,“ Tuff said.
Some children brought stuffed animals from home and treated them as if what they held or carried was, indeed, real and alive.
”St. Francis of Assisi was actually a minister in the Catholic Church and he found a very special relationship with nature and animals,“ Tuff said.
Tuff mentioned cats and dogs and all kinds of animals, reminding the group that the feast being celebrated that day was in the name of St. Francis of Assisi.
”I want to recognize how much friendship and companionship comes to us through animals and I want to do that through a prayer,“ Tuff said.
Prior to his sainthood, Francis was a very popular guy in Assisi, Italy. The son of a wealthy family, he was known to throw elaborate parties and was admired by all.
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| Wendy and Trinity Goff at the "Blessing of the Animals" with their pug dog named Duke. |
Until one day, when he believed God spoke to him through an icon, requesting him to rebuild the church. St. Francis understood the message to mean that he was to rebuild the ruined Porziucola chapel in the woods, which stands today inside St. Mary of the Angels church.
He later realized that very message he believed to be from God was a larger request to rebuild the church as a whole and practice a life of simplicity and service.
After disposing of his expensive clothes and offering what he owned to the poor, he found an audience of animals in the forest and preached to them, writing sermons for the birds and referring to Brother Wolf as a neighbor.
Today, St. Francis is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment, and the Blessing of the Animals celebration at Saint Stephen’s school arrives once a year in October.
Wendy Goff and her daughter Trinity, 6, brought Duke to the blessing.
”This is great,“ Trinity said. Duke is a black pug and could not have been more content in her arms, with his tongue hanging out in a style that makes it appear that he is smiling.
Goff was delighted to bring Duke to school that day to help celebrate the event and celebrate Duke’s participation as a member of their family.
Looking through the crowd, there were animals of all sizes and shapes. Although dogs were the dominating visitor for the blessing, there were also cats, chickens and a horse.
That’s right, a horse made its debut and had started the journey from its farm to the school at 6 a.m.
”This is Remmy,“ Sonny Fuller said.
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| Sonny Fuller, from left, Mimi Fuller and Cameron Fuller on their family horse, Remmy, at the "Blessing of the Animals." |
Mimi Fuller, 5, and Cameron Fuller, 9, had asked their father to bring Remmy to the Blessing of the Animals for two years straight, and he decided to make the arrangements for their family horse to visit the celebration this year.
”This is a very special day for them,“ Sonny Fuller said. ”He’s really good around kids, like a dog trapped in a horse body.“
Last year, Cameron Fuller brought her guinea pig to the celebration. But this year they brought their larger pet.
”He’s big compared to a lot of other dogs.“ Cameron Fuller said. ”Better than a guinea pig.“
Lucky for Remmy, after he leaves Saint Stephen’s with his blessing, he’ll be back in the pasture for a trot and a treat.
”He’ll get carrots for being so good,“ Cameron Fuller said.
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