Feast

Roberto Benigni is returning to Italian television to celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi, Italy's patron saint, on Rai Uno on the evening of October 4, the day dedicated to the saint. The actor and director is expected to give one of his celebrated storytelling performances, recounting the life of Francis. Italian media are promoting the broadcast as a highlight of the saint's feast day.

Italy is restoring 4 October, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, as a national public holiday. With the date falling on a Saturday in 2025, many workers stand to gain extra pay, and Corriere della Sera reports on how much salaries increase for those entitled to the allowance. The move has drawn wide attention as it is the first new public holiday added to the Italian calendar in decades.

Priests at Malate Church in Manila, Philippines, have blessed dogs and other pets in an annual ceremony marking the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Owners brought their animals to the church grounds for the traditional blessing, which has drawn wide coverage from international outlets. The event highlights a popular Catholic tradition blending faith and affection for animals.

Catholics around the world are marking the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, held each year on 4 October. The day honours the 13th-century friar known for his devotion to poverty, humility and care for animals and nature. Many parishes hold blessings of pets, and the date is also linked to prayers for peace and environmental protection.

Catholic priests in the Philippines held a blessing of animals, with dogs and other pets filling a church for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Owners brought their companions to be sprinkled with holy water in the traditional ceremony, and images of the event have been widely shared as a heartwarming religious tradition.

The historic Old North Church in Boston held its annual Blessing of the Animals, a tradition in which pets and working animals are brought to the church to receive a blessing. Services like this, often held around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, draw pet owners from across the city and are a familiar feature of the church's community calendar.

The Barceloneta neighbourhood in Barcelona is bringing back its maritime memory with a free programme of activities. The line-up includes a popular sardinada — a grilled sardine feast — net-mending workshops and talks about the sea, celebrating the district's fishing roots. The initiative has drawn attention as the former fishing quarter continues to balance its working-class heritage with tourism pressure.

Assisi is commemorating 800 years since the death of St. Francis, with thousands of pilgrims gathering at the Porziuncola for the Transitus ceremony marking his passing. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and Italian President Sergio Mattarella attended the Feast Day Mass on October 4, a highlight of the jubilee year in the Umbrian town.

A New York City church has held its annual blessing of the animals, a tradition in which pets are brought to be blessed, often around the feast day of St Francis of Assisi. Congregants typically bring dogs, cats and other animals to the service. The event draws attention each year for its warm scenes of animals inside a house of worship.

Churches are holding blessing of the animals ceremonies to mark the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology. Photo galleries from services show pets brought by their owners to receive blessings, a tradition observed around the feast day in early October by congregations across many denominations.

St. Luke's Episcopal Church held its Blessing of the Animals service, with a photo gallery published by 27east showing pets and their owners gathering at the church. The event, a tradition often held around the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, sees clergy bless animals brought by members of the community.

Episcopal churches are holding blessings of animals to mark the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century saint known for his love of animals and nature. The annual tradition sees pet owners bring dogs, cats and other animals to church services to receive blessings, and it continues to draw attention each October.

Historic Old North Church in Boston held its annual blessing of the animals on Sunday, welcoming pets and their owners for the traditional ceremony. The event, a custom honoring St. Francis of Assisi's feast day tradition, draws local families with their dogs, cats and other animals to the landmark church.

A church in Marion held its annual blessing of pets, an event where animals are brought by their owners to receive a blessing. The ceremony is part of a tradition honoring St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, typically held around his feast day in early October. Local coverage highlighted the congregation gathering with dogs, cats and other pets for the service.

Trinity Church in Menlo Park held a blessing of the animals service, welcoming pets and their owners into the church for a ceremonial blessing. The event, reported by local outlet InMenlo, put animals at the center of the congregation for the day. Such blessings are traditionally held around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

A church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania held its annual blessing of pets, a traditional service honouring animals and the companionship they offer their owners. Attendees brought their pets to receive blessings, with the event framed as a celebration of the bond between people and animals. Such blessings are commonly held around the feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals.

A church in Madison, Mississippi, held a multicultural festival honoring St. Francis, bringing together members of its congregation and the wider community for a celebration of food, music, and tradition. Local coverage from WJTV highlighted the event as a showcase of the parish's cultural diversity and shared faith, drawing families together for the feast day observance.

St. Mary's Church has held its fifth annual Blessing of the Pets, a ceremony in which parishioners bring their animals to receive a blessing. The event, covered by local news, continues a growing tradition among congregations that ties faith to the bond between people and their pets.

Italy celebrates the Feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October, a date that returned to the national holiday calendar in 2025 after nearly half a century. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered a speech marking the re-introduction of the feast, which honours the patron saint of Italy and animals. The reinstatement of the date is drawing wide attention across the country.

Marnus Labuschagne, the Australian batter with Afrikaans roots, scored a century in a tour match played in his country of birth. Cricket.com.au highlighted the homecoming performance, dubbing the innings a feast at home as he builds form and stakes his claim for selection in upcoming Test matches.

October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the Catholic saint best known as the patron of animals and the environment. Many communities mark the day with blessings of pets and animals, and it is often linked to reflections on care for creation. The date draws attention each year among Christians and environmental advocates alike.

Churches in the Richmond, Virginia area held blessings for pets, with dogs, cats, horses and other animals brought by their owners to receive a blessing. The events, often tied to the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, drew local attention as families brought a wide variety of animals to their congregations.

Pet owners across the Philippines are having their animals blessed in ceremonies marking the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. The tradition, common in Catholic communities, draws dogs, cats and other pets to churches where priests sprinkle them with holy water.

Seattle has held an animal blessing, a ceremony in which pets and other animals are blessed, often in a religious setting. Such events typically draw pet owners with dogs, cats and other animals, and are commonly held around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Beyond the event taking place, further details about this year's gathering were not immediately available.