These typically include the Blessing of the Animals, a fun and furry event the entails bringing pets of all shapes and sizes up to the altar of the church to receive a blessing.

I know that I’ll be getting information about these events in the coming weeks because St. Francis of Assisi Day is Oct. 4. Some churches tend to host their observances around that date if not on the date itself.

Some of the items include:

“The Green Bible Devotional”

100 2010 All Creatures Great and Small postcards

“Eating Mercifully” documentary

Mission Humane Action Guides, one each for youth and teen level service learning projects

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor 

He is the subject of some interesting commentary featured in an e-newsletter from the Humane Society of the United States that popped up in my e-mail today.

I have been listening to talk radio all week and folks are sharing their opinions about whether Vick should be allowed to become an NFL player again since his dog fighting conviction. Vick spent 18 months in Leavenworth Federal Prison and people are wondering if they’ll see him throwing the pigskin at a NFL game in the future.

The Humane Society’s e-newsletter, called “The Humane Steward: Faith in Action for Animals,” is a monthly mix of interesting articles and commentary about the faithful’s call to care for animals. This month’s e-newsletter discusses Vick’s offer to help with the society’s anti-dogfighting campaign. It also includes some narrative about stories of redemption in the Bible and society CEO Wayne Pacelle (pictured below) talks about his recent decisions regarding Vick.

“He’s served his sentence, and now he’s made a personal appeal to The HSUS to involve him in anti-dogfighting and anti-cruelty efforts. Will we continue to flog Michael Vick indefinitely, or will we take advantage of his expressed desire to do better, to be an agent of change for animals?,” Pacelle wrote.

” I knew it would be controversial, but I decided it was the right thing to engage with Michael and give him a chance to participate in our anti-dogfighting efforts.

“We at The HSUS are about change, even the hard cases.”

Read what what else Pacelle has to say:   “Talk Back: Michael Vick as Messenger.”

To sign up for the Humane Society’s Humane Steward e-newsletter and read more about the society’s Animals and Religion program, go to www.humanesociety.org/religion.

(AP PHOTO AT TOP: Michael Vick arrives at federal court surrounded by the media for a meeting with his parole officer in Norfolk, Va. on May 22.)

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

I got that from the Humane Society of the United States, which offers tips for having a  humane Easter that respects all creation.

In the humane society’s Humane Steward Faith in Action for Animals e-letter sent today, the society’s advises people to opt for chocolate bunnies instead of real ones this holiday.

“If you love bunnies, make yours chocolate. Rabbits are the third most relinquished species at animal shelters nationwide. Intakes of rabbits at shelters go up dramatically after the Easter holiday,” the e-letter stated.

For more tips, see  “In the Spirit of Easter, Be Humane and Honor Creation.”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The Humane Society of the United States offers meat- and dairy-free recipes on its Web site.

A message on the site reminds those who fast thatchoosing meat-less meals during Lent “is not only a symbol of self-sacrifice but is a means to proactively help millions of animals who suffer on factory farms in the United  States each day.”

For meat-less recipes from the Humane Society’s kitchen, click here: Veggie recipes for Lent. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Look for more Lent-related blog postings here on the Religion and Values blog in the days ahead. 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

I just learned of a neat feature on the Human Society of the United States’ Web site. It’s called the “Francis Files.”

The society invites readers to share a story of how an animal has influenced their faith or how their faith has influenced their view of animals.

The society shares many of the stories with its readers. Each month one story is featured in the society’s e-newsletter, the Humane Steward.

The Francis Files are, of course, named after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.  

For more information or to submit your story, click here: Francis Files.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The Humane Society of the United States, through its 2008 “All Creatures Great and Small” campaign, is asking you to go egg-free or at least change your egg-eating habits this month.

The society says that nearly 280 million laying hens in the U.S. are confined in barren, wire cages “so small the birds can’t even spread their wings.” The society says consumers can reduce animal suffering by making a few simple changes in their purchases.

The new campaign calls on the faith community in particular to take up this cause. It notes that many faiths have had holidays or feast days in October that focus on compassion, hope and charity. Christians celebrated the Feast day of St. Francis, Jews celebrated Yom Kippur and Muslims ended Ramadan with Eid-ul-fitr celebrations.

People of faith are asked to go online to pledge for one month to either switch to cage-free egs or egg substitutes as a way to end the “cruelest confinement systems employed by the egg industry.”

Specifically, the pledge is to “Make more humane food choices by committing to one or more of the following:

Switching to cage-free or free-range eggs;

Eating fewer eggs;

Replacing eggs with any of the widely available substitutes.” 

For more information, visit http://allcreatures.hsus.org/

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

(NOTE: The title of this post is just a play on words, not an endorsement of this campaign)