"Francis

of Assisi had a profound respect and love for all of

God's creatures," said the Rev. Bob Hudak, vicar of

the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Fayetteville.

In

recognition of the feast of Francis of Assisi, the patron

saint of animals, which fell on Oct. 4, a special

blessing was conferred on more than 50 cherished pets

belonging to members of the Church of the Nativity and

the Catholic Church of St. Gabriel, in Fayetteville.

The

unconditional love pets have for their owners can be

compared to the unconditional love God has for us, Hudak

said. The tradition of blessing God's creatures started

soon after Francis' death, he said.

"We've

always been doing this, but it's becoming more common.

More churches are embracing the opportunity," he

said. "It's a sign of God's love."

This is the

second year the two churches gathered to celebrate the

feast of Francis and pray for the well-being of all the

furry, finned and feathered friends gathered. Hudak and

the Rev. Tim Hepburn, pastor of St. Gabriel's, gave their

blessing as the assembled cats and dogs barked and meowed

in response.

Stone-cast

images of Francis maintain a constant vigil in gardens

and meditation corners worldwide. So who was this early

animal rights activist and ecologist?

Francis was

born in 1181, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in the

Italian village of Assisi. He led a privileged life and

today would have been referred to as a playboy. He served

as a knight in one of the Holy Wars and during his

captivity by the enemy, had a life-altering revelation.

He returned

home to renounce his wealth and worldly ways, and assumed

a life of poverty. Francis wore a rough brown robe

cinched with a rope as a belt and went barefoot, begging

for only what he needed. He rejoiced in the natural

beauty of the world and called the creatures of the earth

his brothers and sisters. He was kind to even the

lowliest of worms, moving them out of the road to prevent

their being crushed.

Francis'

innate joy was contagious and he drew people to God's

message through his itinerant preaching. Eventually,

other men wished to follow the life-style of Francis and

they became known as the Friars Minor. Today members of

this religious order are called Franciscans.

According

to stories about Francis, he was first to assemble a

life-size scene of the first Christmas using real people

and real animals.