Remembering that episode of the 'Vicar of Dibley', where Geraldine invited parishioners to bring along their pets to church to be blessed as Fr Marc Lyden-Smith, parish priest at Holy Rosary and Immaculate Heart in Sunderland, does likewise, blessing pets brought along to mark the Feast Day of Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (c1181-1226), AKA St Francis of Assisi. Many of the stories that surround the life of Francis say that he had a great love for animals and the environment and so no surprise that he is the patron saint of animals and ecology. St Francis is also credited with creating the first live Christmas nativity scene in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. #sunderland #dioceseofhexhamandnewcastle #stfrancis #stfrancisofassisi #pets #petsoffacebook #photography