St. Francis of Assisi, lover of all creation, champion of justice, patron saint of animals and the environment.

People pray to St. Francis for protection of their pets.

St. Francis was born at Assisi, Italy, in 1182. The son of a wealthy cloth merchant. St. Francis gave all his wealth up to rebuild the poor churches in his neighborhood and to care for the needy. St. Francis loved the Passion of Jesus so much that he received the wounds of Christ known as the stigmata on his own body on the feast of the Holy Cross in 1224.

Feast Day is October 4