We are a Church of England parish with a strong tradition of music in worship, where all are very welcome. As an ancient Church in the centre of Durham, St Oswald's is a reservoir of peace for all who enter it.

The Sunday Eucharist is at 11:00am, and we have a play and books corner by the font for any younger worshipper who feels a parent or carer would enjoy it there. Evensong is at 6:00pm on Sundays, either in the chancel, or roughly every other week during term time when the usual hymns expand to a full choral setting, in the body of the church. Midweek Holy Communion is at 10:00am on Wednesdays, and the church is usually open from 9:30am till round about 5:00pm (or dusk, if earlier) on weekdays.

Wednesday, 1st July 2026 - Ordinary Time: Henry, John, and Henry Venn the Younger, Priests and Evangelical Divines, 1797, 1813 and 1873 [Commmemoration]

An Excerpt from a Letter Written by Henry Venn to the Countess of Huntingdon:

Not by Deduction but by Consciousness

Henry Venn

The Collect of the Day:

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: increase and multiply upon us thy mercy that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not our hold on things eternal; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Common Worship 

A Passage of Scripture Taken from the New Testament Reading Appointed for Today's Morning Prayer:

The Rich Ruler

A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He replied, ‘I have kept all these since my youth.’ When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘There is still one thing lacking. Sell all that you own and distribute the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when he heard this, he became sad; for he was very rich. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’

Luke 18:18-25, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition

A Prayer for All Affected by the Recent Earthquakes in Venezuela:

Gracious God, our refuge and strength, we pray for the people of Venezuela following the recent earthquakes. Comfort those who mourn, heal the injured, protect those still awaiting rescue, and strengthen all who are working to bring relief and care. Give wisdom to those leading the response, generosity to those able to help, and hope to all who are facing loss and uncertainty. We pray especially for those who know and love you in Venezuela: strengthen their trust in you, fill them with compassion, and use them to point others to the hope that is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. In his name we pray.

Amen.

The Anglican Diocese of Bathurst (The Anglican Church of Australia)

Durham Diocesan Prayer Cycle Deanery Intention for the Month:

July 2026 - Wearmouth Deanery

A Prayer of St Oswald of Northumbria:

Let us kneel together, and pray the true, the ever living and almighty God to protect us in his mercy from the arrogant savagery of our enemies, for he knows that we fight in a just cause for the preservation of our nation.

Amen. 

Saints of the North 

(Prayed by King Oswald with his Army on the Battlefield on the Eve of the Battle of Heavenfield, AD634)