Shared by Mary
November 2001
An interesting true story…
Last year during the Feast Day of St. Francis*, the pastor of our church, (Holy Name on 96th St. & Amsterdam Avenue, NYC}, which is run by monks of the order of St. Francis, was giving a sermon about the Divine St. Francis and his love for animals and how they flocked around him….Right in the middle of Father Jim’s sermon a squirrel entered into the church through a window, ran up towards the altar and to everyone’s amazement, climbed up the pole of the lecturn and sat looking at the pastor as he unflappably, continued with his sermon….
The squirrel stayed put for the entire sermon and then at the end of it, as quickly as he came, he hurriedly climbed back down and ran towards the window through which he entered, jumped through and left…….On his way no doubt to continue his morning rounds….yet he too could take the time to soo honor….the Divine, lovable, comedienne,,,,St. Francis.
* St. Francs of Assisi, Italian Saint and founder of the Franciscan religious order in 1209. St. Francis viewed nature as a mirror of God and called all the animals his brothers and sisters. He honord all of God’s creatures and they, in turn, had a great affinity for him.