Friday, 14th November 2025: 7pm - Durham University Brass Band ConcertSunday, 16th November 2025 - The Second Sunday before Advent:11am Parish Eucharist - The Rev.’d John McManners6pm - Choral EvensongSaturday 7pm - Quiz Night & PizzaSunday 23rd November 2025 - Christ the King; The Sunday next before Advent:11am Parish Eucharist - The Rev.’ d Canon Gavin Wort, Lead Chaplain Durham University6pm - Evening Prayer with HymnsMid-week service: Wednesday 10am Holy CommunionPlease see the Calendar of services attached. Also, David’s Music Notes for November.Quiz night with Pizza Saturday November 22nd at 7pm at the Institute Tickets £7.50 All profits to go towards the new kitchen.Concerts this week:Wednesday 19th November, 7pm, Durham University Concert BandFriday 21st November, 7:30pm, Durham University Orchestral SocietySunday 23rd November - Evening Prayer at St Oswald's this week will be followed by a devotional performance of Thome Luis de Victoria's Requiem mass, composed in 1605. This masterpiece of the early choral repertoire will be performed by the Aquilo Consort, directed by David Caroe. The Requiem performance will start at c.6:30pm, but do please also join us for Evening Prayer at 6:00pm. Admission is free.Foodbank – Weekly message from Lynda Delf : On 9th November £20 and 8kg of food was donated in Church, a Parishioner gave me 8kg of food and £10, this will provide meals for 20 people. Many thanks for your continuing support.Every year the food bank gives a box of Christmas food to those who have used the food bank during the year, included in this are tinned ham Christmas puddings cakes, biscuits and sweets.We also need sugar, support, rice, tinned meat, potatoes, tomatoes, fish, rice pudding and fruit. We always need long life fruit juice and milk as well as household cleaning materials.Thank you for all you do to support people who use our food banksParish Magazine: There are still a few copies of the current issue available from the back of church (priced £2). Any remaining content for the next issue should reach Stevie Taylor or Sarah Knight by the copy deadline of Sunday 23rd November, please.Receptive Ecumenism: Attached is information about a course on ecumenism.Amongst the sick please pray for Angie Robley, Carol Simmons.With All Good Wishes and Prayers, PeterThe Reverend Peter Kashouris St Oswald's Vicarage, Church Street, Durham pzkashouris@gmail.com
There has been a bonfire every year in the churchyard for hundreds of years, and this year's bonfire took place, for once, on 5th November itself. Our usual crowd was even bigger than previously, with St. Oswald's schoolkids, students, and longstanding residents enjoying the fire, the sparklers, and the refreshments. Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a lovely evening, to Roz Layton for organising everything brilliantly, to everyone who contributed toffee, biscuits and sweets, and to Giles Radford, Scout Leader extraordinaire, silhouetted in the photo, for building and superintending the magnificent fire.
Oswald, King of Northumbria 634–642ᴀᴅ, was instrumental in bringing Christianity to this region, and is celebrated on 5th August every year with a choral evensong at the cathedral in which we traditionally join to celebrate our patron saint. Generally, we meet in church for a short prequel, and then peregrinate the 715 yds. (0.65 km) across Kingsgate Bridge to the mother church, though this year for a variety of reasons we made our own ways there. Nonetheless, we were very graciously welcomed by the Dean as the 'pilgrims' from St. Oswald's, and three of our younger members made a fine job of processing His Northumbrian Majesty's banner to the high altar.The banner party is pictured here with other members of the congregation, in an image that has been watercolourised to try and rescue a truly dreadful snap.
