A Catholic priest in Zapopan, Jalisco, sprinkled holy water over dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds this past Sunday — turning the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and World Animal Day into one of Mexico's most emotionally charged religious ceremonies of the year.
This year, the tradition carries weight beyond the usual. 2026 marks exactly 800 years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, and Pope Leo XIV has declared a special Jubilee Year in his honor — making October 4 the most symbolically significant feast day in a full century of Franciscan celebration.
