26th October 2025 - Thought from Fr. Colm

The Parish Council met on Wednesday. It was a very productive meeting with shared ideas on the Parish moving forward building on our strengths. The many groups, the changing face(s) of those attending our Masses. The new challenges of church usage. The outreach to the wider community. Loneliness and isolation experienced by those living alone.

The schools links with parish via welcoming, music and Youth activities. Building on the university’s expansion and increasing numbers of university students attending our Masses. Much lively discussion to reflect…and act upon.   

St. Leonard’s Mass of welcome at St. Joseph’s was a lovely celebration tinged with sadness, as next years will no longer be in the parish but in the newly built, state of the art school.

Congratulations to Beth Otty on receiving the award from Durham Constabulary as the most outstanding investigator of the year. Beth, along with husband and fellow PC  are past pupils of St. Leonard’s. Beth and twin sister Alex, who recently received her doctorate in Educational Psychology, were both Mass servers at St. Joseph’s while attending St Joseph’s School, and both served my very first Mass in the Parish all those years ago. Well done girls. Your late Mum, Andrea would be very proud .

Despite unfair parking restrictions recently imposed in Durham City Centre on Sunday mornings, our attendances continue to improve at our 9.00am Mass. Young families continue to attend and what a witness that is. It’s no joke getting a brood of very young energetic children out so early on a Sunday morning for 9, or indeed 10.30am. Well done.