The Blessing of the Animals is a tradition in the Cashiers community started by the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Cashiers area churches will observe this annual event at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 2 at The Village Green Commons on Frank Allen Road.  Bring a chair to this gathering with animals that features music and prayer in celebration of all God’s creatures great and small.  Each animal receives a special blessing.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation for the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society. Besides monetary gifts, items like blankets, rugs, towels, Milk Bones, unscented cat litter and canned dog and cat food are useful as well as always needed.

The Village Green will provide water and trash cans for the animals, which must be leashed or otherwise secured and under the owners’ control at all times.

The tradition of animal or pet blessings is in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all of God’s creatures.  St. Francis, whose feast day is October 4, wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things: “All praise to you, O Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.”

For more information, contact the Church of the Good Shepherd online at goodshepherdofcashiers.com or 828-743-2359.