VIDEO - Vatican Holds Blessing of Animals for Feast of St. Anthony with Traditional Farmer's Day Celebration

On the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great, patron saint of animals, it is customary for animals to be blessed. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti celebrated the traditional Farmer's Day in the Vatican. The initiative has been promoted for 17 years by the Italian Breeders Association (Aia) and by Coldiretti
SEE ALSO: Special Blessings for Pets, Farm Animals and All Domestic Animals https://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2024/01/special-blessings-for-pets-farm-animals.html

The cardinal archpriest Mauro Gambetti, vicar general for Vatican City and president of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, pronounced it at the beginning of the mass on the occasion of the memory of Saint' Antony Abbot, celebrated  in the Basilica of San Peter. Organized by the Italian Breeders’ Association (AIA) and Coldiretti, Italy’s largest farmers’ association, the annual event began, with a Mass attended by almost 600 people in the basilica. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, then went outside to offer the traditional blessing.

In Milan, it is a tradition for the bishop to visit local farms, on this day, and bless the livestock.  See: https://www.chiesadimilano.it/news/chiesa-diocesi/delpini-visita-aziende-agricole-2725750.html