Blessed

Dean Stephen Hance blesses a police horse.
Dean Stephen Hance blesses Mirvish (left) and Beckett, Clydesdale horses belonging to Toronto police’s Mounted Unit, at the Blessing of Animals service at St. James Cathedral on Oct. 4.
 on October 29, 2025
Photography: 
Michael Hudson

The Rev. Canon Beth Benson, honorary assistant at St. James Cathedral (above), blesses a cat held by its owner at the cathedral’s Blessing of Animals service on Oct. 4. Pets and their owners from around the neighbourhood attended the outdoor service, led by the cathedral’s clergy. The service is held by many churches on or near the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of pets and animals.