This year, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Santa Clarita will incorporate its popular “Blessing of the Pets” service into its regular 10 a.m. Sunday service on Oct. 6.

All pet lovers in the greater Santa Clarita community are invited to bring their special animal(s) to St. Stephen’s for a blessing by St. Stephen’s priest, The Rev. Kelly O’Connell.

To accommodate the special needs of this event, the service will be held outdoors in the Courtyard behind St. Stephen’s Preschool (next to the church itself).

All pet lovers bringing their animal (s) to the service are requested to have them on a leash or in a pet carrier, whichever is appropriate for the type of animal involved.

Animals other than dogs and cats are also welcome at the blessing ceremony, provided the owner can maintain proper control over their animal during the worship service.

St. Stephen’s is conveniently located at 24901 Orchard Village Road in Santa Clarita near the intersection of Lyons Avenue. Plenty of convenient free parking is adjacent to the church.

Additional information may be obtained by calling the church office M-F at 661-259-7307 or by visiting the parish’s website at www.st-stephens.org.