DONKEYS have been associated with Christianity since Biblical times, but dogs and cats less so.
However, a Wantage church was filled with animals of all shapes and sizes for a special blessing service yesterday.
The service at the Catholic Church of St John Vianney was attended by about 100 people and their pets. Canon Peter Turbitt said: “We would expect it to be more aggro when a cat sees a dog but it’s not bad at all.
“We expect it to be worse than it actually is.”
Among the guests were 26-year-old donkey Tracy, from the Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, and Wantage’s mayor, Fiona Roper, with her dog Raffles.
Service organiser Wanda Oberman, 75, said the event was held to mark the feast of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
The Hanneys resident said: “This is an opportunity for us to give thanks for the created world and for the animals who share our planet.”
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