Day Two Hundred and Seventy-Five: All Creatures Great and Small

The community of St. John the Evangelist Church in Lawrence is blessed to have Fr. John Schmeidler, a Capuchin Franciscan, as their pastor.

Today, the animals were blessed as well.

At the annual Blessing of the Animals (held every year on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi), it didn't matter if the creature was great or small; dog, cat, bunny, or lizard; young or old; real or stuffed - every animal present on the church grounds this afternoon received its own blessing from Fr. John....









....even Lucy:

(Farley got in on the action, too, despite not being pictured here.)

About the only animal that didn't look pleased or excited to be there was this turkey, who arrived in a cage on the back of a pick-up truck.

Perhaps he knew that - with Thanksgiving right around the corner - it wasn't a blessing of long life he was receiving...