The people of God at St. Michael-St. Malachy Parish in Brooklyn, N.Y., celebrated the solemnity of St. Francis of Assisi by reflecting on the saint's great hymn to creation.

The parish held a day of recollection in Spanish on Saturday, Oct. 3. The focus of the day was the Canticle of the Creatures, which Francis composed as he was dying. Participants spent the morning in the friary garden. They reflected on the timing of the composition of the canticle, near the end of Francis’ life, when he was physically compromised, with his eyesight failing him. They took time to reflect on sunlight and the sun, and how the light warms us. They reflected on how the sun is even more complex than that; there is a mystery in the way light refracts into a rainbow of colors. They reflected on the wind, invisibly gaining then losing intensity and force. They reflected on water, tasting it, touching it, so simple yet invaluable. They spent the morning reflecting on the first half of the canticle. In the afternoon they reflected on Sister Death. They shared stories of deaths edified in their peace. They talked about difficult deaths marked by fear and agitation. They talked about Francis welcoming death as a creature made by God. They talked about how to prepare for death. They finished the day by celebrating a transitus service in the church. 

Fr. Martin Curtin, the pastor, also taped a video covering the main elements of the day for English-speaking parishioners. 

On Sunday, Oct. 4, the parish celebrated all the Masses with the readings and prayers proper to the feast of St. Francis. The parish has a relic of St. Francis kept in a hand-held reliquary. The relic is surrounded by relics of 14 Capuchin saints. The parish used the relic as part of the final blessing of each of the Masses. After the last Mass, the parish had the blessing of animals. “Some twelve dogs and one cat braved the rain to receive the blessing,” Father Martin said.