The Feast of Saint Francis and Blessing of the Animals
Join us for our 34th annual Feast of Saint Francis celebration! This signature Cathedral service features Paul Winter and Paul Halley’s Missa Gaia (or Earth Mass) and a stunning Procession of Animals. Following the service, the festivities move to the Pulpit Green for pet blessings, performances, and more!
Schedule
9:45 am: Doors open
Advanced passes will be honored until 10:15 am. Day Of passes are honored on a first-come, first-served basis. See below for more information on how to obtain passes.
10:30 am: Musical prelude
Cathedral musicians set the mood for the service with a prelude performed on the Great Organ.
11 am: Service begins
The Missa Gaia features a mass choir of hundreds of voices as well as modern and traditional West African dance by Forces of Nature—all in celebration of the beauty of the animal kingdom. It concludes with the Procession of the Animals, a parade of creatures great and small down the Nave of the Cathedral. The Right Reverend Clifton Daniel III, Dean of the Cathedral, will preach and The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of the Diocese of New York, will celebrate.
1 pm: St. Francis Day Fair
Following the service, join us for pet blessings, performances, food trucks, children’s activities, and more on the Pulpit Green!
How to Attend
Day Of
Plenty of “day-of” passes will be available the morning of October 7th on a first-come, first-served basis. The line for these passes does form early. For more information, visit this comprehensive event FAQ page, which also includes information on accessible entrances.
Advanced Passes
A limited number of advance passes are available online. Cathedral staff and volunteers, as well as those participating in the service (choir members, choristers, dancers, etc.), should contact the office with which they work for passes.
Online
For those unable to make the service in person, a livestream will be available via our Facebook page.
How to Support
Help make this magnificent day possible by becoming a Steward of St. Francis with an individual gift of $250, which will be acknowledged with a reserved seat in the Dean’s section. We also invite individuals, families and groups to sponsor an animal in the procession with a gift of $2,500. For your generosity, you will be given 10 seats in the Dean’s section to enjoy the service with friends and family. All gifts may be made in memory or honor of a loved one, human or animal. To learn more, please e-mail or call Priscilla Bayley, Director of Development, at (212) 316-7570 or [email protected].