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 11am, 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 6pm 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 10am on Wednesdays, and the church is usually open from 9:30am till round about 5pm (or dusk, if earlier) on weekdays.

Thursday, 15th January 2026 - Epiphany Season

John Cosin, Bishop of Durham, 1672

Today marks the anniversary of the death of John Cosin.

Cosin be­came pre­ben­da­ry of Dur­ham Ca­thed­ral; rec­tor of Brance­peth in 1626; Mas­ter of Pe­ter­house, Cam­bridge in 1634; and Vice Chan­cel­lor of the Uni­vers­ity and Dean of Pe­ter­bo­rough in 1640. Af­ter the Res­to­ra­tion in 1660, he be­came Dean, then Bi­shop, of Dur­ham, and in 1665, he rebuilt St Peter's Chapel as it stands today from the remains of the medieval great hall at Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, where he was buried according to his will following his death in 1672. The Chapel has been in continuous use as a place of worship ever since. 

Cosin also founded the Episcopal Library of the Bishop of Durham on Palace Green in 1669, one of the first public libraries in the North East of England. Cosin's Library as it is known today is still fully operational as part of Durham University Library, and reopened in 2022 following two years of extensive conservation work, both internally and externally.

A Passage from the Old Testament Reading Appointed for Morning Prayer for Today:

'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat of it”, cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’

Genesis 3:17-19, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition

The Collect of the Day:

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Common Worship

Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire (Verse 1):

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire;
thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart:

John Cosin 1594–1672 based on Veni, Creator Spiritus, Common Praise - A new edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern #178

A Prayer for the Peace of the World:

Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed:
kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all, the true love of peace
and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth
that in tranquillity your kingdom may go forward,
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

The Church of England, Worship Texts and Resources

Durham Diocesan Deanery Monthly Prayer Intention - January 2026:

Easington Deanery

A Prayer for the Season of Epiphany:

Almighty and eternal God,
Brightness of faithful souls,
you brought the Gentiles to your light,
and made known to them him who is the true Light,
and the bright and morning Star.
Fill the world with your glory,
and show yourself by the radiance of your light to all nations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Prayers through the Centuries: A Revision of Prayers of the Early Church and Prayers of the Middle Ages, Paul C Stratman (Originally Edited by James Manning Potts)