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Parish News and Announcements  

Bishop Stephen has invited all parishes to participate in a Pastoral Strategy following his recent Pastoral Letter.  There is a certain urgency to the process. We will therefore begin the process on Wednesday when the Parish Council meets. It will be then presented to the wider parish. It is hoped that this consultation will be completed by the end of April. I will keep you updated.

 

 Well done to all the Staff at St. Godric’s School on their recent outstanding RE Ofsted. We, as parish, are very fortunate to be benefiting from the input and generosity of staff who are very involved in many parish activities and ministries. Well done.

 

Last Sunday we witnessed the very public expression of thanks for a Catholic education when in her Oscar winning speech, Jesse Buckley thanked the Ursuline Sisters for what they did for her. The school’s message of congratulations to Jesse sums up so much of what our Catholic Schools try to do for the children in their care at both primary and secondary levels.

 

In a Facebook post March 16, the Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles said it is “immensely proud to congratulate past pupil Jessie Buckley on her Oscar win for Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards.”

 

“The tender, intuitive and resilient portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare in ‘Hamnet’ that brought her this accolade marks an extraordinary high point in what has been a stunning career to date,” the post read.


“Following Jessie’s remarkable career trajectory has filled us with great pride and her work has brought honor to our school community through her remarkable passion, talent and commitment to her craft,” it continued.

 

“From our school stage, and onto the world stage, Jessie’s success is testament to her exceptional ability and hard work. She has always been, and is now more than ever, an inspiration to all those associated with our school.”



 

Tonight's Stations of the Cross were led by our young people and children from our Parish Youth Group. You can see photos below



 

 

 

 

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School



We would like to send out a big thank you to all the parents and families who attended the Somone Special Celebration in school. It was wonderful to see everyone share such a lovely occasion with the children. The children were incredibly excited to welcome their special visitors into school and proud to share the celebration they had prepared. We appreciate you taking the time to come and support the children and our school community. 

On Friday 20th March it will be a Non-Uniform Day in school. We kindly ask if children could bring in an Easter Egg donation which will help support our Easter activities in school. You generosity and continued support is always greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

St Godric's Catholic Primary School


We are delighted to share the outcome of our recent Catholic Schools Inspection, in which St. Godric's was graded Outstanding in every area of Catholic Life, Religious Education and Collective Worship.

Inspectors were particularly impressed by the children’s confidence in leading worship, their thoughtful engagement in lessons and the strong sense of belonging they expressed. They highlighted the school’s “very strong culture of community and togetherness, where all are welcomed and included warmly.”

This exceptional outcome reflects the dedication of our pupils, staff, parents, and the wider parish community. We are incredibly proud that our distinctive ethos and daily practice has recognised so highly across every aspect of the inspection framework

 

 

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School



Class 2 had a wonderful trip to Wharton Park this week. In their workshops they used the text 'Martha Maps it out' to help them improve their map skills - linking to their Geography topic work, in class - and they learned all about physical and man-made features.

They also got to try out using compasses and extended their knowledge of compass directions. The children were exceptionally well-behaved and enjoyed being out in the fresh-air and taking part in all the exciting activities. 

St. Thomas More are so thankful and grateful to John Hayton, one of our parishioners, who is giving up his time and supporting our year 4 children - who are making their First Holy Communion this year. John is supporting the teaching, of our RE curriculum, by extending the children's knowledge of The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist - bringing new knowledge and expertise to our children. Thank you, John, the children are really enjoying their session.



St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School




St Leonard's Year 7 Retreat

This week saw 88 Year 7 pupils attend retreat to the Youth Village in Consett. Pupils explored the theme of 'Living Hope' developing on from our Jubilee year.

Everyone enjoyed taking part in workshops, competitions and spent time outdoors. on Wednesday morning the group finished their time together celebrating Mass with Fr. Andrew Downie. We hope that our Year 7 pupils bring the messages they received back to school and continue to put their faith into action.




 
About Us 

The parish of the Durham Martyrs incorporates the Catholic churches of Our Lady of Mercy and St Godric, St Bede and St Joseph (Gilesgate) in Durham City. We are part of the Finchale Partnership and based within the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

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Addressess

St. Bede,

St Godric's RC Primary School,

Carrhouse Drive,

Durham

DH1 5LZ 

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Our Lady of Mercy

and St Godric

Castle Chare
Durham
DH1 4RA

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St Joseph

Mill Lane
Durham
DH1 2JG

Contact 

Marjorie, the Parish Secretary's working hours are 8:30am -4:00pm Tues - Fri. If you email outside these hours you will receive a response when Marjorie is back in the office. 

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Landline : 0191 3843810

Mobile: 07483 369 561

​durham.martyrs@diocesehn.org.uk

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