Saturday, November 8, 2025
This past weekend churches in Malverne and West Hempstead opened their doors to furry, feathered and even scaled friends for a blessing of the animals.
During the annual Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, churches hold special services to honor the patron saint of animals. During the feast, parishioners are invited to bring their pets to church to receive blessings for the year.
The Feast of Saint Francis was celebrated on Oct. 4, with gatherings in front of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hempstead and in front of Malverne’s Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
On Oct. 5, Grace Lutheran Church in Malverne welcomed animals into their school gymnasium to receive blessings.
Eileen Down, of Lynbrook, brought her python snake Tiles to get blessed. “I get him blessed every year,” Down said. For 19 years she has shared her blessings with Tiles. “I get blessed and I feel I’m safer. We’re watched over when we’re blessed.”
Down originally purchased Tiles for her son, but she now cares for the python. She said that fellow parishioners are often shocked when she brings a snake to be blessed. Down believes Tiles likes getting blessed, as it allows the snake to spend time outside of its cage.
Keanu Sterling brought his six-month-old bernadoodle, Arlo, to be blessed. “This is our first little fur baby,” Sterling said. “So I decided to have him blessed for health, for strength, and to have a long life.”
