October 4th is the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. He is a beloved patron saint of the environment and animals as well as one of the patron saints of Italy. He founded the order known today as the Franciscans and the order of religious sisters called the Poor Clares. The beautiful Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is the mother church of the Franciscan order located in the region of Umbria, Italy. A common Roman Catholic tradition is that many parishes around the world host an annual pet blessing as part of the saint’s feast day. In 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose to honor Saint Francis by taking his name, becoming Pope Francis. #saintfrancis #sanfrancesco