St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day: October 4 and Prayers

The feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the “poor man of Assisi” who rebuilt the Church by living the Gospel, is October 4. On the evening before, October 3, Franciscans around the world keep the Transitus, remembering his passage from this life to God, and on or near his feast many parishes hold a blessing of animals in honor of his love for all God’s creatures. Below are the meaning of the feast and its customs, how to hold a simple blessing of pets, St. Francis’s own prayers, including the Canticle of the Sun, Scripture and the story of his death.

When is the feast of St. Francis?

Feast day: October 4, a memorial in the General Roman Calendar (a feast or solemnity for Franciscans). In 2027 it falls on a Monday.
The Transitus: the evening of October 3, the hour of his death in 1226.
The Stigmata of St. Francis: September 17, kept by the Franciscan family.
In Italy, October 4 is a national day in honor of St. Francis and St. Catherine of Siena, the patrons of Italy.

The Transitus: the death of St. Francis

Francis died at sunset on October 3, 1226, at the Portiuncula, the little chapel below Assisi where his brotherhood began. Blind and ill, with the wounds of Christ in his body, he asked to be laid naked on the bare ground, welcomed “Sister Death,” had the Passion according to St. John read to him and died singing Psalm 141. Larks were said to circle low over the house at the moment of his death. Franciscan communities recall this “passing” (transitus) on the evening of October 3 with readings, candles and song.

St. Paul’s words were his life:

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
And whosoever shall follow this rule, peace on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
From henceforth let no man be troublesome to me; for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.

The blessing of animals

Because Francis called all creatures his brothers and sisters, preached to the birds and tamed the wolf of Gubbio, parishes often invite people to bring their pets for a blessing on or near October 4. A simple family blessing for a pet, written for this page:

Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of all things.
You made the animals of the earth and gave them into our care.
Bless (name), our companion. Keep him (her) healthy and safe,
and help us to care for all your creatures with kindness,
as St. Francis did. Amen.

See the patron saint of animals and the prayers of the faithful for animals.

St. Francis’s own prayers

The Canticle of Brother Sun

Composed by Francis near the end of his life, in the translation of Paul Sabatier’s Life of St. Francis of Assisi (1894):

O most high, almighty, good Lord God, to thee belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing! To thee alone, Most High, do they belong, and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce thy Name.
Praised be my Lord God with all his creatures, and specially our brother the sun, who brings us the day and who brings us the light; fair is he and shines with a very great splendor: O Lord, he signifies to us thee!
Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon, and for the stars, the which he has set clear and lovely in heaven.
Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all weather by the which thou upholdest life in all creatures.
Praised be my Lord for our sister water, who is very serviceable unto us and humble and precious and clean.
Praised be my Lord for our brother fire, through whom thou givest us light in the darkness; and he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong.
Praised be my Lord for our mother the earth, the which doth sustain us and keep us, and bringeth forth divers fruits and flowers of many colors, and grass.
Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for his love’s sake, and who endure weakness and tribulation; blessed are they who peaceably shall endure, for thou, O most Highest, shalt give them a crown.
Praised be my Lord for our sister, the death of the body, from which no man escapeth. Woe to him who dieth in mortal sin! Blessed are they who are found walking by thy most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm.
Praise ye and bless the Lord, and give thanks unto him and serve him with great humility.

“My God and my all”

From Prayers of the Middle Ages:

My God, and my all, who art Thou, sweetest Lord, my God? And who am I, a poor worm, Thy servant? Holiest Lord, I would love Thee! Sweetest Lord, I would love Thee! Lord, my God, I give to Thee all my heart and body, and vehemently desire, if I might know how, to do more for Thy love. Amen.

Prayer to know God’s will

God, almighty, eternal, righteous, and merciful, give to us poor sinners to do for Thy sake all that we know of Thy will, and to will always what pleases Thee, so that inwardly purified, enlightened, and kindled by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we may follow in the footprints of Thy well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The famous “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace” was not written by Francis but by an unknown author in the early twentieth century; see the full history on the Prayer of St. Francis page.

Other ways to celebrate

Go to Mass and pray for peace.
Care for creation: pick up litter, plant something, or support a cause that protects the poor and the environment. Pope St. John Paul II named Francis the patron of ecology in 1979.
Give to the poor, as Francis embraced the leper and gave away everything he had.
Make or visit a Nativity scene. Francis created the first live crib at Greccio in 1223.

The Gospel of the feast

At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to the little ones.

Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: and you shall find rest to your souls.
For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Frequently asked questions

When is St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day?

October 4.

Why are animals blessed on the feast of St. Francis?

Because St. Francis loved all creatures as gifts of God, called them his brothers and sisters, and is the patron of animals.

What is the Transitus?

The commemoration of St. Francis’s death on the evening of October 3, 1226, kept by Franciscans on the eve of his feast.

What is St. Francis of Assisi the patron saint of?

Animals, ecology, Italy (with St. Catherine of Siena), merchants and the Franciscan family.

More about St. Francis

Texts and sources

Canticle of the Sun: Paul Sabatier, Life of St. Francis of Assisi, translated by Louise Seymour Houghton (1894), public domain.
“My God and my all” and the prayer for God’s will: Prayers of the Middle Ages, public domain (Project Gutenberg).
Scripture: Galatians 6:14–17; Matthew 11:25, 28–30, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The pet blessing was written for this page.