A recent Sunday morning service at St Peter’s in Horninghold was attended by nine enthusiastic, four-legged friends as the church held its second annual Pets & Prosecco service, celebrating mankind’s special relationship with their furry family members.
Back by popular demand, the summer service welcomed villagers, visitors and newcomers alike, offering a fun way to attend church in this rural village in the Launde Minster Community.
The worship was themed around man’s relationship with animals and included a reading from the Creation story in Genesis. Members of the congregation discussed the role of mankind as caretakers of the earth and its animal life, and the relevance of this with regards to today’s environmental challenges.
There was also a rousing rendition of All Things Bright and Beautiful - which may have featured a woof, bark and howl, or two.
The service was led by the Revd David Palmer, a self-supporting Pioneer Priest who is working in the Launde Minster Community.
Revd David blessed all the pets individually, including several labradors, a border collie, springer spaniels and terriers.
There was also a 17-year-old cat called Dafydd, who seemed to take the service in his stride from the relative safety of his cat carrier.
As chaplain to the Farming Community Network, Revd David used part of his sermon to talk about scientific advancements in farming and the importance of our relationship with animals.
Reflecting on the occasion, he said: “It was a fantastic, sunny service at Horninghold church, and delightful to see so many two-legged and four-legged friends and family in attendance.
“It was a surprisingly relaxed gathering and a wonderful way of welcoming both regular and new visitors into our church community.”
After the service, the congregation enjoyed a cold glass of prosecco in the sunshine, as well as biscuits and bowls of water for all the furry friends.
On behalf of the PCC who organised the service, Mary Twidell said: “We love the way this service has become a much-anticipated event in our village calendar. As part of the sharing of ideas and practice in our Minster Community, we produced a generic Order of Service and any unused or returned copies are being passed on to Slawston for their Pets Service later this month.
“Recycling, in all its forms, is alive and well in the Launde Minster Community!”
St Peter’s hopes to continue this as an annual service, with plans already afoot to welcome horses, hamsters and hens next year.
