Come celebrate the animal kingdom with us! Here in Essex, New York, animals are all around us: in our homes, on our farms, and in the wilderness. Some are our companions or pets, others work as draft horses or livestock, and still others survive in our forests and fields, rivers, streams, and lakes. No matter where they are, they have a healing, helping role in our lives. To commemorate their service to us, bring your pet (on a leash or in a crate, please) or other animal to receive the blessing of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of animals and the environment.