There was a big turnout for a special service Friday at St. Cletus Parish in La Grange as well over 100 furry friends from throughout the area came out Friday to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis and be blessed by the Rev. Elmer Romero, the church’s pastor. St. Francis, along with St. Catherine of Siena, is a patron saint of Italy. In 1979, Pope John Paul 11 declared St. Francis the patron saint of ecology, an honor that made him the patron saint of animals to many. It’s a popular practice on his feast day for people to bring their pets to church for a blessing. Romero said the pet blessing has become an annual tradition at St. Cletus as a way not only to incorporate the furry family members of parishoners, but also to celebrate the legacy of St. Francis of Assisi,” one of the most joyful and favorite saints that we have.” “He had this special love for creation,” Romero said. “Just think about that — love for creation. Everything we see, and our pets, is part of that.” On Friday at St. Cletus, most of the pets receiving blessings were of the canine variety, with a few cats thrown in, one in a protective bubble. By far the largest was Maddy, a Leonberger brought by La Grange resident Annie Bretzer, who was at the blessing for the first time. “I went to a Franciscan high school, and I learned about St. Francis and the blessing of the animals, so I wanted to bring her,” she said. Summit resident Cynthia Hernandez’s goldendoodle, Jasper, waits to receive a blessing Friday at the St. Cletus Parish in La Grange. Over 100 animals were on hand for the event. (Hank Beckman/Pioneer Press) Parishioners Marie and Bob Usher brought Archie, who they described as an “all-American mutt,” for his blessing, the first time they had attended. “It’s a great recognition of the joy that these pets bring us,” Marie said. “And it’s the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, so it’s beautiful. Look how many people are here.” Summit resident Cynthia Hernandez came to have her goldendoodle, Jasper, blessed, saying her home parish of St. Blase had dwindled somewhat during the pandemic. “He’s 2, so I’ve been here twice with him,” Hernandez said, stressing it was “absolutely” special to have Jasper blessed. She noted that one advantage of the breed is the lack of shedding, which is great for her mother’s allergies. Maria O’Connell, St. Cletus athletic director, had a volleyball game right after the feast, and stopped by to lend support to the blessings. “I think it’s beautiful,” she said. As the visitors left, Romero said he was more than satisfied with the turnout. “I think this was absolutely beautiful,” Romero said after the final blessing. “I saw more people, more pets this year. Other places, they might have the pet blessing on a different day of the week, but here we chose today, the actual Feast of St. Francis.” Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.