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ST FRANCIS DAY APPEAL 2020
Cathedral Christ the King with Ballarat Wildlife Park

The Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi falls on 4 October.  St Francis is well known as the Patron Saint of Animals, and, in 1979, he was declared the Patron Saint of Ecology by Pope John Paul II. On his Feast Day, people traditionally bring their pets to church for a blessing. This will not be possible this year because of the current COVID-19 restrictions on public worship.

Our Lord’s commandment that we should love our neighbors as ourselves means that we should, among other things, strive to support our local community and journey with them especially during this time of unprecedented pandemic. On the occasion of St Francis’s Feast Day, there is no better way of doing so than by making a donation to the ongoing work of the Ballarat Wildlife Park, which, apart from its strong local following, is one of the city’s major tourist attractions. The Park receives no ongoing public funding and is largely dependent on entry fees for its operations. The Park has had to remain closed during periods of the pandemic, relying on emergency public funding, on sponsorships and on donations. Of course, ongoing costs (of some $50,000 per month) are still incurred. These include caring for and feeding the Park’s animals (who are reported to be missing their usual interactions with visitors) as well as basic maintenance.

We appeal to you to join with the Cathedral Christ the King (Anglican Diocese of Ballarat) reach our target of $1000.00 by contributing as generously as you can by 4th October 2020, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

https://www.facebook.com/BallaratWildlifePark/

https://www.facebook.com/ballaratanglicancathedral