ATLANTA—St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology, was recently honored on his feast day at St. Jude the Apostle School.

St. Francis Day is one of the most anticipated days of the year for the students as it always begins with the “blessing of the pets.”

On Oct. 4, students visit the school, accompanied by their pet dogs, cats, birds, snakes, hamsters, fish and duck. The day began with a prayer service outside followed by a special blessing for the animals.

Later in the day, students in kindergarten through seventh grades add plants to their respective classroom gardens, while the eighth-graders spruce up the common areas in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the school and church.

These activities communicate to the students the importance of caring for God’ creatures and being good managers of the earth shared by all.