What This Story Is About
- A Knoxville Episcopal church held its annual Blessing of the Animals ceremony honoring the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, drawing families and pets of all kinds.
Why It Matters
- The ceremony reflects a long-standing tradition that brings together church members and the wider community around a shared ritual of faith and pet ownership.
For Context
- The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, observed Oct. 4, honors the saint known for his care of animals, a tradition now practiced by Episcopal, Catholic and other Protestant churches.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -The Episcopal Church of the Ascension held its annual “Blessing of the Animals” ceremony, honoring the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
Dogs, cats and a turtle were among the pets brought to the church.
Families return year after year
Les and Carla Hargrove brought their dog, Monty, a rescue collie who has been blessed at the church multiple times.
“At least five or six times. We may have skipped a year, but he reminded us that we needed to come back,” Les Hargrove said…