Sept. 22. Two Cornelius churches have announced plans to bless pets and animals the first weekend in October. Blessing of Animals services are traditionally held near the beginning of October because it corresponds to the Feast Day of St. Francis, who was known for his kindness to animals.

First Baptist

First Baptist Church of Cornelius will hold a Blessing of the Animals event Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. It’s an opportunity for animal lovers to bring their pets to be prayed over and blessed by the Rev. David Judge, pastor of First Baptist.

Judge said he has had people ask him to pray over dogs stricken by cancer. One elderly lady asked him to pray over her dog’s water bowl. “She was not strong enough to control the dog even on a leash, but she wanted a blessing for him,” Judge said. “She thought that if I just prayed over his bowl, then each time he took a drink he would be blessed.”

In addition to the blessings, there will be activities as well as photos with St. Francis, patron saint of animals.

First Baptist Church of Cornelius is located at 21007 Catawba.

Mt. Zion UMC 

The  Blessing of the Animals service at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church will be at 4 pm Sunday, Oct. 2, on the front lawn, weather permitting.

Bring any animals or pets you may have, and they will be prayed over by the pastors. If  you’ve had a pet die recently, come and give God thanks for the gift of your pet’s life and receive God’s healing and blessing. If you have a picture of your pet, please bring it with you.

Mt. Zion UMC is located at 19600 Zion Ave.