All creatures great and small are gathering at St Paul\u2019s Anglican Cathedral in Nicosia today as animal loving crowds take their pets along to a special blessing.<\/p>\n
Part of a worldwide celebration to mark the recent World Animal Day on October 4, the Saint Francis Blessing of the Animals received a very good response when a similar event was held at the Cathedral a few years back.
\nWorld Animal Day was established in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. Since then it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and is widely celebrated in countries around the world. October 4 was specifically chosen as World Animal Day as it coincides with the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt Francis is usually depicted surrounded by and holding various animals,\u201d\u009d says the St Paul\u2019s Cathedral Dean, Father John Tyrrell. \u201cReligious blessings are now very popular in many countries, especially England and North America. People who live on farms out in the country even take their horses down to the nearby chapel.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n