Published: Sunday, 12th October, 2008 4:05pm

Let us bra-a-a-y

by Jonathan Kelly

Soft as velvet: Velvet the donkey during the service (above) 084901h after being led in by Wendy O'Rourke.

A CONGREGATION of a different kind took to the aisle at the annual blessing of the animals service last weekend.

The Service of Thanksgiving for Creation was held at All Saints Church in Wokingham on Sunday and featured the Rt Revd Richard Llewellin, the former Bishop at Lambeth.

Revd David Hodgson, vicar at All Saints in Wiltshire Road said: "It went really well, it was good to have our furry friends in church.

"The message the bishop gave was all about animal welfare and the need to respect the animal world and to avoid cruelty, as well as being a nice service for pet owners."

More than 100 people, plus their children and all of the animals attended the service and even dignitaries such as Lady Elizabeth Godsal, High Steward of Wokingham, brought her two Labradors along for a blessing.

Marcelle Williams, who organised the service, said: "It was a great success as usual. The star of the show was a miniature donkey, called Velvet. This is the 20th year I've organised this and we've never had a donkey. He came in the south door of the church and just stood there for over an hour and never made a mess, he was a real star."

The £154 raised from the collection will be divided equally between the Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals and the Wokingham branch of Cats' Protection.

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