The Blessing of the Blessing of the Animals

 

By Carl Patka

Every autumn, I have the privilege of volunteering at the St. Francis Day Animal Blessing hosted by the Monks and Nuns of New Skete. The tradition of the Blessing of the Animals originates from St. Francis of Assisi, a 12th-century friar known for his love and respect for all of God’s creations, particularly animals. St. Francis is a cross-over saint, loved and respected by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox alike.

Dog owners from near and far drove up to New Skete on October 4, 2025, to a beautiful fall day for this year’s Blessing of the Animals. They came to have their best friends blessed in an outdoor ceremony that calls on God and St. Francis to bless every creature that breathes—including the dogs and their owners—with a little sprinkling of holy water.

We have been blessed with good weather almost every year; one year, we had to move inside the church because of rain, and it was lovely having nearly 100 dogs (and a small goat) inside for the service. This year, about 100 people and their furry companions came to the Monks’ monastery on a glorious and warm fall day, with the foliage in full color. After the blessing, we enjoyed apples, apple cider, and cider donuts.

What folks don’t know is that our refreshments are donated every year by Dr. Alan Grout, owner of Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie, New York. Every year, I have the privilege of driving down to Golden Harvest to pick up twelve dozen hot, fresh, cider donuts, ten gallons of fresh apple cider, and two bushels of apples to refresh our hundred or so guests at the animal blessing. The aroma in my car on the drive from Valatie to Cambridge is indescribable—and I always get myself some extra goodies at the farm store to keep from diving into the donut boxes.


Hannah, Haiku, and Dr. Alan Grout, DVM Retired
                                                                   Photo by Kelly Shallo Photography

Golden Harvest Farm was established in the 1950s on land that was farmed much earlier. In 1975, Jayne Zinke and her husband, Alan Grout, moved to the farm with their four young sons. It was the beginning of a new era of expansion at Golden Harvest. With the acquisition of the 58-acre State Farm orchard in 1978 and the Martino (Maple Lane) and Whitney orchards two years later, the land area of the farm grew to approximately 220 acres. Golden Harvest currently grows nearly 30 varieties, including the ever-popular Honeycrisp and several new varieties developed at the New York Apple Institute.

In addition to running his apple orchard and farm, Dr. Grout is also a retired veterinarian and an animal lover in his own right. In fact, he has adopted German Shepherds from the Monks of New Skete for many years. When I drive down to visit Golden Harvest, Dr. Grout always greets me and takes me over to his house in his golf cart to visit and pet his dogs.

Pictured here with Dr. Grout are Haiku and Hannah—two of New Skete’s finest dogs, who retired from the Monks of New Skete German Shepherd breeding program. They are wonderfully behaved and super friendly, and they clearly love their owner. Dr. Grout has a special system of indoor and outdoor kennels in his house that allows Haiku and Hannah to go in and out as they like, and they have a beautiful, spacious fenced yard. They even get to go on outings to the orchard.

Dr. Grout shared that they love apples but are very picky—they never eat the apples off the ground; instead, they pick apples right off the trees in the orchard. Lucky dogs! What a life! It is always a pleasure catching up with Dr. Grout about happenings at the orchard and with his Monks of New Skete Shepherds. I can’t wait to go back again next year.

 

Photo by Kelly Shallo Photography


Photo by Kelly Shallo Photography

Photo by Kelly Shallo Photography


Photo by Kelly Shallo Photography


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