Blessing of the Animals
Blessing of the Animals
and Art Exhibit, 2026
We look forward to our 19th Annual Blessing of the Animals!
Featuring:
– Walk-Up blessings in the First UMC Courtyard;
– Kids can bring stuffed lovies to be blessed, and have making crafts and listening to story time.
– New this year! View beautiful animal photography by
Larry Naylor, with an artist talk scheduled for Sunday, October 18 after worship (see info below.)
Don’t miss this annual tradition celebrating beloved creatures!
Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Courtyard and Fireside Room
Blessing of the Animals Art Exhibit featuring Larry Naylor
First UMC is excited to welcome Larry Naylor as our featured artist for our Blessing of the Animals art exhibit this year!
About Larry:
Larry Naylor was born a few years ago into a family that went to UMC Santa Monica every Sunday. Larry has a sister Kathy, and two brothers Craig and Mark, Their parents Maxine and Roy were dedicated to a life of service and have passed away. Larry lives in Westchester with his wife Tima and Chihuahua Vago. Larry had two children, David and Julie. Julie has two children, and lives in Kirkland, Washington with her husband Jeremy. Larry went to Santa Monica High and
Santa Monica College, then on to UCLA where he earned a degree in biology and a masters in ecosystems. He became a certified scuba diver in 1972 and has had the opportunity to dive many of the best spots in the world. He bought his first camera in 1975, and became hopelessly addicted to nature photography. He joined the Peace Corps in 1979, and spent a year in El Salvador and 3 years in Paraguay. In both countries Larry worked to document the fishes of the country for their natural history museums. It gave Larry a chance to broaden his horizons in that he worked with professional biologists in a variety of disciplines.
Larry’s recent photo trips include Katmai Peninsula, Alaska for brown bears, Costa Rica for birds, and Brazilian Pantanal for jaguars.
Come see Larry’s photography during:
- Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, October 4, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the Fireside Room.
- Larry will hold an artist talk on Sunday, October 18, after worship in the Fireside Room.
Other events for The Prayer for Peace weekend includes
Vigil for Just Peace, and Walk the Labyrinth
Blessing of the Animals 2025 photo recap
We’re grateful to everyone who attended our 18th Annual Blessing of the Animals! The gathering offered a beautiful moment for our church and community to come together, give thanks for the animals who bless our lives, and reaffirm our responsibility to care for all of God’s creation.
Blessing of the Animals 2024
Thank you to Fabian Lewkowicz of Santa Monica Close-up for making a wonderful video of our Blessing of the Animals event! It showed all of the adorable animals and the art exhibit. The animal art exhibit will continue to be open until the end of the October! Come visit us in the fireside room if you didn’t get a chance to see a diverse collection of incredible artworks crafted from recycled materials. Each piece showcases the creativity of our community.
2024 Blessing of the Animals photo recap
Thank you to all who came to our annual Blessing of the Animals on October 5, 2024! The event brings together the church and the local community, and provides an opportunity for people to express their gratitude for the animals in their lives and renew their commitment to caring for all of God’s creations.
