SUNDAY AFTERNOON EUCHARIST
WHERE YOU MAY BRING YOUR PETS
ST FRANCIS' EPISCOPAL CHURCH, STAMFORD, CT
Monthly on the third Sunday of the month at 4pm


Other upcoming services will be February 17, March 16, and April 20 at 4 pm.

Starting November 9th, 2003, St. Francis began a very Franciscan thing. A once a year Blessing of the Animals is not really enough to show our love for God's critters. Once a month is more like it! So once a month at 4pm on the third Sunday of the month in the new church (2810 Long Ridge Road, North Stamford, CT. Follow this link for directions) we will celebrate a Rite III Eucharist where you can come and bring your pets. While you receive communion, your pet will receive a special blessing. And don't worry about barks and meows and squeaks and peeps and whines and loud purrs or ferocious growls . . . those are simply the prayer noises of your beloved pets.

St. Francis Episcopal Church is one of few Episcopal churches in Connecticut to offer a monthly Communion service for animal lovers AND their pets. “We may be the first,” comments the Rev. Richard. E, Mayberry, Rector of St. Francis Church. “I am sure we won’t be the last! This is certainly the only such service in Stamford.”

Rev. Mayberry explains how it came about. “Several of our parishioners had been bringing their pets to our Sunday morning services from time to time, but we were getting a little concerned about other parishioners’ allergies. We hold a highly popular Blessing of the Animals each October which is attended by people from all over Fairfield County – one lady last year brought her five cats from Milford – so we thought why not have a pet-friendly service more often? Our two ‘pilot’ services were so well-received; the service is now part of our church calendar.”

Mayberry continues, “The monthly communion service is much the same as our regular Sunday service, except that our four-legged friends can come along too and receive a blessing. For many people, their pets are more like family members than animals, and we want to help them celebrate these special relationships.”

St. Francis' patron saint is St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. The church has been observing the Feast of St. Francis for over 20 years with its annual Blessing of the Animals.