WE are said to be a nation of animal lovers.

In recognition of this, the companionship provided by pets and the love felt for them by their owners, Holy Cross in Crediton is holding a pet service in the churchyard (in church if wet) on Saturday, October 4 at 4pm.

This will be a short service to include a blessing of the pets and followed by refreshments.

If you feel that your pet is unsuitable to attend “in person”, you are invited to take along a photograph.

There will be a doggy bin in the churchyard for the occasion. All pets and pet owners are warmly invited to go along to the service.

This date is very suitable for a pet service as October 4 is when St Francis of Assisi (c. 1181 – October 3, 1226) is remembered.

Many of the stories that surround the life of Francis say that he had a great love for animals and the environment.

It has become customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on this, his feast day of October 4 which became World Animal Day.

A collection of legends and folklore sprang up after Francis' death.

One account describes how one day, while Francis was travelling with some companions, they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side.

Francis told his companions to "wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds".

The birds surrounded him, intrigued by the power of his voice and not one of them flew away. He is often portrayed with a bird, typically in his hand.

Another legend tells that in the city of Gubbio, there was a wolf "terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals".

Francis went up into the hills and when he found the wolf, he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt nobody.

Francis led the wolf into the town and surrounded by startled citizens made a pact between them and the wolf.

Because the wolf had "done evil out of hunger", the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly.

In return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner, Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator.

At the end of October, Holy Cross is setting a Pumpkin Challenge.

As an alternative to the usual way in which pumpkins are carved and to complement the Light Quest held on the same night as Halloween, young and old are challenged to hollow out and carve a pumpkin with crosses.

There are many different designs for crosses which can be found on the internet. The carved pumpkins can be left and displayed on the ledges in the South porch entrance to the church from the week commencing October 20. Please do consider having a go!