As annual blessing of animals takes place, some wonder: Will my pet go to heaven?

Parishes in the English-speaking world are holding blessings for pets this Saturday, Oct. 3, to coincide with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Because the feast falls on a Sunday this year, many churches are conducting the rites a day early.

The tradition stems from the Canticle of the Creatures, a prayer written by St. Francis of Assisi around 1225 to praise God for all creation. While Franciscan churches have performed these blessings for decades, the practice has expanded to many other parishes. During the service, priests often use a prayer from Franciscan Media asking God to enable pets to live according to God's plan and to praise God for the beauty of creation.

Father Johannes Arens, the parish priest of St. Andrew’s Parish in Leicester, England, explained that blessing animals is a way to pray for people holistically. He noted that because pets are part of families and lives, the blessing serves to wish good things for the circumstances of those relationships.