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, 16th September 2026 - Ordinary Time (Creationtide): The Feast of St Ninian, Bishop of Galloway, Apostle of the Picts, c.432 [Lesser Festival]; The Feast of Edward Bouverie Pusey, Priest, Tractarian, 1882 [Commemoration]

Let me not seek out of Thee what I can only find in Thee; peace and rest and joy and bliss, which abide only in Thy abiding joy. Lift up my soul above the weary round of harassing thoughts to Thy Eternal Presence. Lift up my soul to the pure, bright, clear, serene, radiant atmosphere of Thy Presence, that there I may breathe freely, there repose in Thy love, there be at rest from myself and from all things that weary me; and thence return, arrayed in Thy peace, to do and bear what shall please Thee.

Private Prayers, 12th ed., p. 39, Edward Bouverie Pusey

The Collect of the Day:

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst call thy servant Ninian to preach the gospel to the people of northern Britain: raise up, we beseech thee, in this and every land, heralds and evangelists of thy kingdom, that thy Church may make known the immeasurable riches of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, 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 Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’

Matthew 9:35-38, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition

(Gospel Reading from Exciting Holiness: Ninian, Bishop of Galloway)

A Poem for the Feast of St Ninian:

Ninian

Under a dove grey sky
Ninian chisels a whitened stone.
Patiently he works the ancient rock
humming to himself
as he thinks about dusty desert dwellings
in far off lands inhabited by vibrant mystics.
Together with his friends
he completes his shining home
that glistens in the dewy rays of sunlight,
beckoning men and women to the light within.

Nearby, the white surf of a restless sea
breaks on the craggy beach.
Sea spray sparkles in the sunlight;
gulls spread their wings on the vigorous breeze.
This is the cave where Ninian kneels to pray
and beckon Holy Spirit visitations
to his people and beyond.
In these dear dwellings,
human eyes beheld the spectacle of heaven
and open ears heard the word of life.
A people were transformed,
and centuries of pilgrims have found a home.

Transfiguring Christ,
lead me to those inner caves of holy light
that I may see such visions
that cause me to build signs of your bright kingdom
among the people where I dwell.

The Poetry of Pilgrimage, Michael Mitton, BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship), 2024

The Post Communion:

Holy Father, who didst gather us around the table of thy Son that we, with all thy household, might partake of this holy food: in that new world wherein the fullness of thy peace is revealed, gather people of every race and tongue to share with Ninian and all thy saints in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Common Worship 

Durham Diocesan Prayer Cycle Deanery Intention for the Month:

September 2026: Durham Dales Deanery

A Prayer of St Oswald of Northumbria:

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. 

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

A Reading for Creationtide 2026 - Living Water:

Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes.

On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.’

Ezekiel 47:9, 12, New Revised Standard Version - Anglicized Edition 

A Prayer for All who Work on the Water, for Creationtide:

All-powerful God, creator of heaven and earth,

We pray:
For all who work at sea;
For all those who give service to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, and its work;
For Naval Chaplains, and Mission to Seafarers Chaplains;
For those sailing under flags of convenience;
For those working at the Ports of Seaham, Sunderland, Tyne, Blyth and Teesport, and for those who work on the DFDS passenger ferries;
For those labouring to bring us food: those whose work is in the fishing industry;
For those drilling for oil and natural gas;
For all divers.

We remember that all these face difficulty and danger.
We give thanks for their knowledge of the sea, their courage on putting out into the deep, their patience and their skill.

We pray:
For all those who cause pollution or environmental or ecological damage through negligence, carelessness, greed or accident, remembering that as we benefit from their harvest, so we share the responsibility for its side-effects.
For those anxious about over-fishing and those trying to protect whales and dolphins;
For those who have lost their boats or their jobs because of problems in the fishing and shipbuilding industries;
For those whose hobby is angling, sailing or boating.

We give thanks:
For the work of the Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust;
For the beauty of our waterways and coasts;
For time for recreation.

We pray for those without clean water or with no water supply at all.
We remember the women whose back-breaking task it is to fetch water.
We pray for those facing drought, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We pray for those whose homes or work places or fields have been destroyed by floods.
We remember the poverty that forces people to live on marginal land.
We pray for those who are sick or dying because of dirty water.

We give thanks for those who work in the water industry, who deal with sewage, who supply us with clean water - the technicians, engineers, pipelayers, and those who work for Northumbrian Water.

We give thanks for those who monitor the cleanliness of our beaches.
We remember all those who have died at sea.
We remember our own death and resurrection in the waters of baptism.

Amen.

Adapted from a prayer featured in 'Work in Worship', written by Cameron Butland, edited and compiled by the Reverend David Welbourn, published by Hodder & Stoughton Religious, 1985