Holy Cow! The Feast of St. Francis and Blessing of the Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

A day inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, whose life exemplified harmony between humans and nature, the blessing of the animals took place yesterday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street in Morningside Heights in Manhattan. The annual celebration featured a procession and blessing of a variety of creatures inside the world's largest Gothic cathedral. The celebration inside the cathedral was followed by an outdoor fair where Cathedral clergy blessed pets, and also included festive music and dance, food, a petting zoo, face painting, and tables full of information on environmental advocacy and animal and human rights. The images were made at the steps of the cathedral after the ceremony, and during the outdoor fair.