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.

Friday, 5th June 2026 - Ordinary Time: The Feast of St Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, Bishop, Apostle of Germany, Martyr, 754 [Lesser Festival]

‘No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.’

Luke 11:33-36, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition

The Collect of the Day:

O God our redeemer, who didst call thy servant Boniface to preach the gospel among the German people and to build up thy Church in holiness: grant that we may hold fast in our hearts that faith which he taught with his words and sealed with his blood, and profess it in lives dedicated to thy Son, Jesus Christ 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 Prayer of St Boniface:

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,
we praise you for all you have given us,
for all you have done for us,
for all that you are to us.
In our weakness, you are strength,
in our darkness, you are light,
in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.
We cannot number your blessings,
we cannot declare your love:
For all your blessings we bless you.
May we live as in your presence,
and love the things that you love,
and serve you in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

St Boniface, 675-754

Mothers' Union - Midday Prayers, August 2024 

A Prayer for all who are Affected by the Current Outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda:

Loving God, you see us and know us.

You are present with us in times of suffering.

We pray to you for all people affected by the Ebola outbreak.

Comfort those who are ill,

Sustain those who grieve,

Watch over those who deliver care.

We pray for the safety and health of our partners and medical staff as they treat those affected.

We pray for strength for communities and families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

We pray that breakthroughs will come swiftly as new vaccines and treatments are developed.

We pray that the world would unite to take action and to support our global neighbours.

Loving God, we ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Christian Aid

A Prayer for Volunteers' Week, 1st-7th June 2026:

Lord,

We pray for all those who volunteer in your service;

giving grateful thanks for all that they give and do.

Strengthen and sustain all volunteers;

that with patience and understanding they may love and care for your people;

We pray also for those churches who struggle to find volunteers;

and where the few are struggling under huge burdens.

Help us remember that we need your help in all things –

may your spirit guide us; may your spirit renew us;

may your spirit strengthen us; so that we will be strong in faith.

Amen. 

The Diocese of Worcester's Prayer Diary, 2015

A Prayer in Celebration of Diversity:

Almighty God, through your Holy Spirit you created unity in the midst of diversity;
We acknowledge that human diversity is an expression of your manifold love for your creation;
We confess that in our brokenness as human beings we turn diversity into a source of alienation, injustice, oppression, and wounding.
Empower us to recognize and celebrate differences as your great gift to the human family.
Enable us to be the architects of understanding, of respect and love;
Through the Lord, the ground of all unity, we pray.

Amen.

Author Unknown 

Durham Diocesan Prayer Cycle Deanery Intention for the Month:

June 2026 - Jarrow Deanery

A Prayer of St Oswald of Northumbria:

Let us together implore the living and true and almighty God in his mercy to defend us against the pride and fierceness of our enemy; for that God knows our cause is just, and that we fight for the salvation of our nation.

Amen. 

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