Hayes Presidential to offer Blessing of the Pets on Sunday, Oct. 4

All are invited to bring their dogs, cats and other furry, feathered and scaly friends to Spiegel Grove on Sunday, Oct. 4, to receive a blessing during a Blessing of the Pets by an Episcopalian monk.

The blessing will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. in the rose garden behind the historic Hayes Home.

Bill Young, a dispersed monk in the Episcopalian Christian Community who is affiliated with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fremont and presides over healing services at Spring Creek Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Green Springs, will give the blessings. He is considered a dispersed monk because instead being in a monastery, he is working in the community.

Young is also a guide in the Hayes Home.

Blessing of the Pets is traditionally offered by many Christian denominations during the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, which is celebrated annually on Oct. 4. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals.

Young offered to give the Blessing of the Pets at Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums and an accredited arboretum, because it is a beloved place for the community to bring their dogs to walk.

All well-behaved pets are welcome. Dogs should be on a leash, and animals that cannot be leashed should be in a carrier or some sort of enclosure, such as a tank.

All are welcome, no matter their religious beliefs.

Following the Blessing of the Pets, there will be an afternoon of events related to President Rutherford B. Hayes’ birthday, which is also Oct. 4, and America 250. These include a tree planting, wreath-laying at the president’s tomb and special outdoor exhibit. For details, click here.

Additionally, special exhibit “Warrior Dogs & Faithful Companions,” will be on display in the museum. For information, click here.

 Hayes Presidential is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner of the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. Hayes Presidential is located at Spiegel Grove on Buckland Avenue.

For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org. Like Hayes Presidential on Facebook and follow on Instagram at rbhayespres and on Bluesky at rbhayespres.bsky.social.