FROM THE ARCHIVE: FIFTY YEARS AGO

A LITANY

Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us.

Christ hear us, Christ graciously hear us.

St Columba of Iona, who befriended the weary crane, pray for us.

St Eustace of Tivoli, who saw the crucifix in the horns of the hunted stag,

St John Bosco of Turin, whose life was saved by the faithful dog,

St Anslem of Canterbury, who saved the life of the hunted hare,

St Francis of Assisi, friend of all wild things,

St Columban of Ireland, who shared a cavern with a bear,

St Aldemar of Monte Cassino, who gave up your cell to the bees,

St Brendan the Navigator, who created the first bird sanctuary,

St Basle of Rheims, who set up a sanctuary for wild animals,

St Emilian of the Loire, who saved the life of a hunted boar,

St Werburga of Chester, who was obeyed by the wild gannets,

St Rose of Lima, whom even the mosquitos obeyed,

St Benedict of Nursia, who was obeyed by a crow,

St Martin de Porres, friend of stray cats and dogs and all despised animals,

St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, who was attended by sea otters,

St Blaise of Armenia, healer of sick and injured animals,

St Godric of Finchale, who set trapped animals free,

St Roch of Montpelier, whose life was saved by a dog,

St Teresa of Lisieux, whose prayers saved a sick pony, pray for us.

Let us pray

We beseech you, O Lord, to hear our supplications on behalf of the dumb creation, who, after their kind, bless, praise and magnify you continually. Grant that all cruelty may cease out of our land: and deepen our thankfulness to you for the faithful companionship of those whom we delight to call our friends: for His sake who has revealed to us your own eternal Love, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.

• Adapted from the first animal service organised by the CSCAW, held in Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, 18 September 1954, conducted by the parish priest Fr W. Connick, during which this litany was used (slightly adapted to update the language) The Ark 53,December 1954, pp. 70-71.