Annual celebrations for the North East's most famous saint, St Cuthbert, take place this weekend, on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 March at Durham Cathedral with a programme of special events and services.
On Friday 21 March a special Evensong will take place, sung by the Durham Cathedral Choir and preached by The Reverend Professor Dee Dyas, Professor of the History of Christianity at 6pm, followed by a procession to St Cuthbert’s Shrine.
On Saturday 22 March, the cathedral will be a place of festival and celebration with a range of special activities and events. For families, there are craft activities and storytelling inside the cathedral where you can learn more about the fascinating life of Cuthbert. The cathedral’s Museum will also be offering free entry all day as part of National Lottery Open Week 2025, so that visitors who show a National Lottery ticket, can get up close to the treasures of St Cuthbert, including his coffin and the Pectoral Cross for free.
Durham Cathedral is the final resting place of St Cuthbert, who was known for both his religious leadership as well as living a simple life as a hermit to be closer to God.
Andrew Usher, Chief Officer: Visitor Experience and Enterprise says,
“St Cuthbert is special to the people of Durham and the North East so we want to encourage as many people to join us as possible for this fantastic celebration of our Northern saint. Whether people want to join the pilgrimage, stop by for family activities, join a service or visit the museum everyone is welcome to take part in the festivities.”
The annual pilgrimage from Finchale Priory to Durham Cathedral will set off at 1.15pm on Saturday 22 March, with the aim of arriving at the cathedral in time for a special Eucharist service at 4pm, with performances by choirs from Newcastle Cathedral and Durham Cathedral and will be preached by the Bishop of Jarrow, the Right Reverend Sarah Clark.
The Reverend Canon Charlie Allen, Canon Chancellor at Durham Cathedral, says,
“The St Cuthbert Pilgrimage is a great celebration of the life and witness of one of the North East's most beloved saints. The pilgrimage provides the opportunity to reflect in places connected to him and to journey towards his final resting place at Durham Cathedral along routes pilgrims have walked since the year 995. A pilgrimage is a walk in which we invest meaning and purpose. Those who join us can expect to make new friends along the way, to slow their pace and become more attentive to the beauty of the world around them, and perhaps even to encounter the divine. We hope people will join our celebrations this weekend - all are welcome!”
A bus service at 12.30pm will take people from Durham County Hall to Finchale Priory for them to join the pilgrimage walk to the cathedral. Bus tickets cost £7 and pre-booking is essential via the Durham Cathedral website.
Find out more about St Cuthbert's Day and how to get involved
