Sunday, 30th November 2025 - Advent Sunday
11am Parish Eucharist
6pm Advent Carol Service
Tuesday 9am St. Oswald’s School Advent Service
Mid-week service: Wednesday 10am Holy Communion
Please see the Calendar of services attached.
Durham University Student Music Concerts this Week:
Tuesday 7:30pm, Footnotes A Cappella Christmas Concert - Underneath the Tree
Saturday 7:30pm, DUPO Palatinate Ensemble Concert - Voices of the New Era
Tickets are available online at durhamstudentmusic.org or on the door on the night.
Sunday, 7th December 2025 - The Second Sunday of Advent
11am Parish Eucharist
6pm Evensong
Mid-week service: Wednesday 10am Holy Communion
Please see the Calendar of services attached.
Advent: Advent is always an especially exciting time in our services at St Oswald’s. One of the big events of our liturgical year is the Advent Carol Service. This service is shaped by the Advent Antiphons. Alongside them we use poetry to help our reflections on these antiphons. This year the poems are all by women poets. Attached are the texts of the poems which are given to help your preparation for hearing them at the service.
The Christmas tree: will be installed in the first week of Advent this year, just in time for the last couple of concerts in church. It's coming from High Grange Farm, Shincliffe and will cost, with a small reduction, £70. Anybody who would like to contribute to the cost is most welcome, to Roz or Andy! And do come and help dress it, probably on Thursday.
Evening Service - for your prayers. Thank you for your comments, thoughts and prayers about our evening service at St Oswald’s. Last Sunday was really super with a good number in the chancel for Evensong and then an exquisite performance of Victoria’s Requiem Mass with a good gathering for that in the nave. In the new year there will be a questionnaire sent out which will ask for your thoughts on the timing of the service and the type of service offered.
Advent Outreach: This Advent we shall be supporting the Anglican Diocese of Goma, please see the attached information about this diocese.
Durham Union Society Debate at St. Oswald’s on Friday 28th November at 8:30pm, This House believes Revolutions never truly succeed. You will be very welcome to attend.
Foodbank – Weekly message from Lynda Delf : On 23rd November 7kg of food was donated in Church, this will provide meals for 10 people. Many thanks for your continuing support for those using our food banks.
This weekend is our annual Tesco collection, hopefully this will replenish our stock.
The current shortages include tinned potatoes, tomatoes, meat, fish, rice pudding and fruit, as well as sugar, jam, rice, coffee, kettle food and biscuits. We always need longlife milk and fruit juice as well as tiolet rolls, toiletries and household cleaning materials.
We are still collecting festive food boxes which will be given to those who have used our food banks this year.Thank you ever so much.
Chaplaincy Christmas Lecture 2025: Tues. 2 December 6.30pm-8.00pm in ER145, Elvet Riverside. The lecture, which will be given by Dr Robert Bluck (Buddhist Chaplain), is entitled ‘Buddhism and Christianity: Rivals or Allies?’ There will be a Q&A following Robert’s talk. To register, please email [email protected].
Amongst the sick please pray for Angie Robley, Carol Simmons.
With All Good Wishes and Prayers, Peter
The Reverend Peter Kashouris
St Oswald's Vicarage, Church Street, Durham [email protected]