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.

Thursday, 13th August 2026 - Ordinary Time: Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor, Teacher of the Faith, 1667 [Lesser Festival]; The Feast of Florence Nightingale, Nurse, Social Reformer, 1910 [Commemoration]; Octavia Hill, Social Reformer, 1912 [Commemoration]

The Collect of the Day:

O holy and loving God, who dwellest in the human heart and makest us partakers of the divine nature in Christ our great high priest: grant that we, having in remembrance thy servant Jeremy Taylor, may put our trust in thy heavenly promises, and follow a holy life in virtue and true godliness; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Common Worship

The Gospel Reading:

The Law and the Prophets

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 5:17-20, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition) 

Exciting Holiness: Collects & Readings for the Festivals & Lesser Festivals of the Calendar of the Church of England, Canterbury Press Norwich, 1997

A Prayer for All Students Receiving AS-Level and A-Level Results Today:

Heavenly Father,

Today, we lift up everyone receiving their A-Level results. We pray that you would calm anxious hearts, quiet every fear, and remind each person that their worth is not defined by a set of grades.

For those who receive the results they hoped and prayed for, may they be filled with gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead. Give them humility, wisdom, and courage as they take their next steps.

For those who are disappointed, confused, or worried about what comes next, surround them with your peace. Help them remember that one results day cannot determine their future. Open unexpected doors, provide new opportunities, and guide them towards the path that is right for them.

For parents, families, teachers, and friends, give them the right words to encourage and support those receiving their results today.

Lord, remind every young person that their future is still full of possibility. Where one door closes, help them trust that you can open another. Give them strength for whatever comes next, wisdom in every decision, and faith to place their future in your hands.

May they walk into today knowing they are loved, valued, and never alone.

Amen.

St Cassian's Church, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire (Diocese of Worcester)

A Prayer Poem by Jeremy Taylor:

A Prayer for Charity

Full of Mercy, full of Love,
Look upon us from above;
Thou who taught'st the blind mans night
To entertain a double light,
Thine and the dayes (and that thine too)
The Lame away his Crutches threw,
The parched Crust of Leprosie
Return'd unto its infancy:
The Dumb amazed was to hear
His own unchain'd tongue strike his ear:
Thy powerful Mercy did even chase
The Devil from his usurp'd place,
Where thou thy self shouldst dwell, not he.
O let thy love our pattern be;
Let thy Mercy teach one Brother
To forgive and love another,
That copying thy Mercy here,
Thy Goodness may hereafter reare
Our Souls unto thy Glory, when
Our Dust shall cease to be with men.

Amen.

The Golden Grove, or, A Manuall of Daily Prayers and Letanies by Jeremy Taylor, 1655

The Post Communion:

O God of truth, whose Wisdom prepared her table and invited us to eat the bread and drink the wine of the kingdom: help us to lay aside all folly and to walk all our days in the way of discernment, that we may come with Jeremy Taylor to the eternal heavenly feast; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Common Worship

If I could give you information of my life it would be to show how a woman of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths to do in his service what he has done in her. And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I nothing. I have worked hard, very hard, that is all; and I have never refused God anything.

Florence Nightingale

The hill top enables the Londoner to rise above the smoke, to feel a refreshing air for a little time and to see the sun setting in coloured glory which abounds so in the Earth God made.

Octavia Hill

A Prayer for All Those Affected by the Recent Earthquake in Colombia, South America:

God of compassion,

We pray for the people of Colombia and for all whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake.

Comfort those who mourn, bring healing to the injured, shelter those who have lost their homes and sustain all who wait for news of loved ones.

Give strength, wisdom and protection to rescue workers, medical teams and all who are responding to the disaster. Be close to churches and communities offering comfort and practical help, and grant courage and hope in the days ahead.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Anglican Communion 

Durham Diocesan Prayer Cycle Deanery Intention for the Month:

August 2026 - Auckland Deanery

A Prayer of St Oswald:

(Prayed by King Oswald of Northumbria and his army on the battlefield on the eve of the Battle of Heavenfield)

Let us all kneel, and together beseech the true and living God Almighty in His mercy to defend us from the proud and cruel enemy; for He knows that we have undertaken a just war for the safety of our nation.

Amen. 

The Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People