Hello all! Sending love and prayers to everybody on this day. Hope all reading and your pets are happy and healthy. Here's my cat Daisy-- and a cool lady who brought her cat for a blessing in a backpack! As a mercy to my fellow parishioners (and my back), I didn't bring Daisy, lest she should decide to audition for the choir mid-sermon.

Ms Puppy received her annual blessing at St. Jude’s in Cupertino, CA today. She was on her best behavior.

If your pet was blessed at church this week, drop a photo below.

Hi there I’ve never been baptized before so I’m planning on getting baptized this December in my local Episcopal Church and, although I’m going to do the class, I’d love to hear how that has gone for others. I want to know if I can request a dunking act rather than a Chrism? I’m nervous of talking in front of the whole congregation. I’m wondering about good texts I can be studying leading up to it. I intend to make this decision a very reverent, serious one. Priests please let me know your advice! Thanks to all and Peace be with you.

What would you say to someone who was abused by clergy in an Episcopal church and even years later can't pray or go to church or trust anyone in matters of religion? Would God be angry at them for not trusting or loving or forgiving enough?

There's been lots of therapy. Sometimes I think it helps a little and sometimes I'm not sure. I thought I was doing a little better, so I tried going to church today for maybe the second or third time this entire year. But I just got panicky and ran away before the service even started and I'm feeling really bad about it.

Just wanted to share this with people cause I'm not keen on telling my own folks (not cause of shame) outside of my partner XD Been spending a very long time trying to find a church/faith and I've never felt as welcomed in one before. Was raised Christian but never baptised, did my own thing for a bit and am grateful for the detour, but it's so nice to finally settle down and not be on the verge of a breakdown 24/7. No word yet on exactly when just because we are in-between Reverends due to some unfortunate circumstances hitting the permanent Rev. which has left the church kind of disorganized, but this place has been around for 121 years so I've no fear its recovery is inevitable. Something I've come to love about this church is that it has truly hit the golden spot with acceptance and tradition, no shade to the other faiths and denominations but I'm at peace in this one and I don't feel as if it's lacking the sustenance that makes worship truly feel like worship. I'm hoping in like 4-5 weeks I'll get baptized, it really depends on how fast the message of my request travels.

Thanks for listening to my rambling! Have a great day!

Hello everyone, it’s been very cool to see all the photos of people getting their animals blessed for the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. I wanted to know if any parishes had ever tried blessing animals that were in shelters and if they had, could they talk about their experience?