Blessing of the Pets set Oct. 7

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. at Trowbridge House, 808 First St., in Franklin.
The blessing will be an outdoor worship service celebrating the animals with whom Franklinites share their lives.
All are invited to attend, even if not pet owners.
The church holds the ceremony every fall to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a celebrated Christian saint.
The church says they will bless the animals as individuals along with their owners, and that stuffed animals are welcome, as well. They also stressed that pets that cannot attend may be blessed in absentia at the request of their owners.
The service is scheduled to be held on the terrace of the Trowbridge House, and refreshments will be available for pets and humans alike.
In the event of rain, the location will be moved to the front porch of the house.
The church will host a canine guest of honor, Zeus, a black labrador retriever, who after being trained to hunt, could no longer do so following hip replacement surgery.
Zeus was rescued from a rancher in Texas by Beto and Laura Zuniga. The Zunigas say that Zeus is a great watchdog who loves to swim in the bayou, and reportedly listens patiently to all their conversations.
For more information on the Blessing of the Animals, call 337-828-0918. St. Mary’s asks that all animals remain contained or leashed.