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Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today's pet blessings on his feast day might have seemed strange to the 13th century saint

  • Written by Mary Dzon, Associate Professor of English, University of Tennessee
imageEach year, services on St. Francis' feast day draw humans and animals alike to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Each year, if you happen to be in New York around Oct. 4, you may catch sight of something unusual: a whole menagerie of animals being welcomed into the Cathedral of St....

Read more: Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today's pet...

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