Ordinarily, the Feast of St. Francis falls on October 4th of each year and is a time set aside by many parishes for the blessing of animals. Since the 4th is a Sunday this year, and since all Sundays are feast days of our Lord, lesser feasts are "bumped" either to another date or until the next year altogether.
However, I want to combine events this Sunday and offer the following: Should anyone wish to have his or her pet or other animal blessed as part of this antique tradition, I will be on the front porch of the Rectory to provide that offering. I will do so from the conclusion of the 10:00am Eucharist until 12:30pm, at which time I'm off to see the tractor parade [I love the Roxbury life, by the way].
In addition, I want to invite all members of the parish at the coffee hours after each service to get something to eat and drink in the parish house and come over to the Rectory as it is finally in a marginally presentable shape.
So, this Sunday animals will be blessed and the Rectory will be opened. For those who read this weblog, please pass this information on to those who do not.