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**You may access the Ceremony of the Roses service bulletin here.** National Pet Memorial Day, which always falls on the second Sunday in September, gives us the opportunity to remember and honor beloved pets who have passed.

At All Saints Episcopal Church, we’re taking the entire month to commemorate the occasion, wrapping up with the Ceremony of the Roses in our St. Francis Meditation and Pet Memorial Garden on Saturday, October 1 at 12:30 PM followed by our annual Blessing of the Animals, from 1 to 2 PM, on the church steps (corner of Holten and Cherry Streets), directly across from the Danvers Town Hall. We will be live streaming to our Perfect Paws page via Facebook Live, so wherever you are geographically, please plan to join us.

At the Ceremony of the Roses, featuring the live music of Ryan O'Connell, we will call out names and honor animals who have died this year and lay three special commemorative stones including one for King Arthur, a stately Afghan Hound who was cruelly abandoned in the woods of Pennsylvania and spent weeks trying to survive in the wild, even as devoted rescuers attempted to track and save him. When the hound was finally corralled, rescuers and vets determined that the injuries he had sustained were too grave for the dog to survive. King Arthur, who was affectionately given that name because of his regal stature, was euthanized, but his rescuers and vet team surrounded him with the gentle love and care that eluded him in his weeks of trial alone in the woods. Authorities were unable to find the dog's owners, even though he was microchipped. Sadly, whoever owned the dog neglected to activate and register the chip.

Please join us in the garden for the Ceremony of Roses -- your animal friends are most welcome -- and then, from 1 to 2 PM, feel our welcome again as The Rev. Marya DeCarlen offers individual blessings for animals present as well as for those who have died or are unable to attend because of temperament or infirmity. If you are unable to attend but wish a special blessing or prayer for a loved animal friend, please let us know by email, at perfectpawsministry@gmail.com, offering the name of your pet, age and breed/species and the type of prayer or intersession you wish.

These beloved creatures are a blessing to us. For this day at least, let us be a blessing to them.

Note: The St. Francis Meditation and Pet Memorial Garden is self-supporting, including maintenance and perpetual care made possible by the sale of stone urns and markers. Download the brochure and the memorial stones order form. Payment for urns and markers must be made in full at the time of purchase. For more information or for a viewing of our Garden please call the All Saints' Parish Office at 978-774-1150 or email perfectpawsministry@gmail.com.

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