SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Monday marked the feast of St. Francis of Assisi who is the Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment.

Churches in our area and across the globe invited parishioners to bring their animals to church to be blessed.

On this Sunday morning, chief photojournalist Don Schoenfeld takes us to St. Mary’s Parish on Sample Street in South Bend.

“Oh god as we commemorate St. Francis and his care of animals grant that we take good care of our pets and by doing so may we share in your love for all creation. We ask this in Jesus’s name amen,” said Rev. Charles Zawistowski the pastor of St. Mary’s Parish. “We do it as a ministry to pet owners in recognizing that pets are part of the family. It’s a fun thing, because I like animals, so I get to be with animals, and I get to

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