His story
The son of a rich cloth merchant of Assisi, he gave away everything he owned to follow Christ in poverty, and founded the Franciscan friars. His first biographer, Thomas of Celano, who knew him, tells that he called every creature his brother, picked worms off the road so that no one would tread on them, and set out honey for the bees in winter. Near Bevagna he preached to a flock of birds that stayed to listen, and afterwards he blamed himself for never having preached to birds before.
His feast day
4 October: His feast in the Catholic Church.
The General Roman Calendar, 4 October
Why people ask St Francis of Assisi
Animals and pets
Catholics, and many others, name him the patron of animals for his love of every creature, and churches bless pets on his feast, 4 October. The Church’s own title for him, given by Pope John Paul II in 1979, is patron of those who care for creation.
Thomas of Celano, First Life of St Francis; John Paul II, Inter Sanctos, 29 November 1979; “Blessing of the animals”, St Joseph’s Church, Lincoln, New Hampshire, 4 October 2025
Where it comes from
Who wrote it
No one knows who wrote this modern prayer.
“Blessing of the animals”, St Joseph’s Church, Lincoln, New Hampshire, 2025
His own prayer
His own prayer is the Canticle of the Creatures, a song of praise to God for every creature that he wrote near the end of his life.
