Saint Francis of Assisi
A beloved saint of animal lovers is Saint Francis of Assisi. He was born and raised in Italy in a well to do family and indulged in a privileged lifestyle of wealth and indulgence until he met a leper and had a message from God to change his heart. From that point on, Saint Francis lead a Christian life of poverty as a beggar and itinerant preacher. (For you kids reading this, itinerant means moving from place to place.) He cared for the poor, sick and underprivileged. Francis believed that nature itself was the mirror of God and he wanted all creatures on God’s earth to be treated as equals under God. Saint Francis could be considered the first advocate of Earth Day as he preached for respect for the environment and all living things in nature.
Our Saint Francis window depicts him in a brown monk’s robe feeding the birds, one of his favorite animals. He is the founder of the religious order of the Franciscan Friars. The window is in memory of David A. McKinley (1918-1977) and Robert L. Ladue (1931-1984). Trinity celebrates the feast of St. Francis every year in October and invites parishioners to bring their pets to church for a blessing. Our most famous guest animal is Edward the potbelly pig who has attended this special service for several years. We love to see him and all the pets on this special Sunday.
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