Students, parents and parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and School honored St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals, with a blessing of the animals ceremony in early October. Creatures great and small received blessings from Pastor John Libone following the morning Mass.  St. Francis, an 11^th century Italian deacon, is renowned for his love of all God’s creatures.  St. Francis also founded the Franciscan order, a Catholic religious order still active around the world today.  His feast day is October 4^th.