By Brazilian community Hamamatsu Parish

Yokohama diocese, Japan, 6 October 2020 -- The Catholic Parish of Hamamatsu (Shizuoka Prefecture, Yokohama diocese) is famous for its well-integrated and inter-twined language and cultural communities around one parish church: Japanese, English-speaking, Latinos (Spanish-speaking, Latin America) and the Brazilian group. The last being the most numerous due to the large Brazilian population in Hamamatsu city.

St Francis of Assisi is the Patron Saint of this parish church (parish priest Fr. Achille Loro Piana, assistant parish priests Fr Ambrosio Da Silva and Fr Joseph Hien), so his feast on 4 October was celebrated as it is every year with all solemnity and according to the 'local traditions' including the blessing of the animals. It looked like 'World Animals Day', according to some observers!

The life of the parish patron, St Francis was marked not only by humility and detachment from material things, but also by a very close relationship to divine Creation, with all of nature. So we can always admire the images of St Francis surrounded by animals and birds. So last Sunday, after every Mass there was a special blessing of animals brought by their owners to the parish. And also during the Eucharist the parish youth brought the living image of St Francis and St Clare to the Eucharistic celebration.

For those who are not familiar with the Catechism of the Catholic Church about our relationship with animals, please, take a look at CCC nos 2415, 2416 and 2418 on respect for the integrity of Creation! Happy Feast of St Francis of Assisi!

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