St. Oswald's Parish Timeline

St. Oswald, King and Martyr - 170 years of a parish

Bishop Brown		1839	The Locality
PARISH PRIESTS		DATE	PEOPLE, PLACES & EVENTS
Fr. Maddocks		1840	1st Church	1st Presbytery	1st School
		1850	Methodist Chapel & CYMS	Sisters of Mercy	2nd School
Canon Bennett	Canon Holden	1860		2nd Presbytery
		1870
Canon Van Hee		1880
Fr. Gallacher	Canon Clarkson	1890	Golden Jubilee
		1900		School Photograph Infant 1 - 1908	3rd School
		1910
		1920	St. Cuthberts		Secularisation?
Dean Coghlan		1930		Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition	Memories
		1940	The Centenary	Filles de Marie	Wartime Letter
		1950	2nd Church	Congregation of Bon Secours de Troy
Fr. McCartney		1960	St. Brendan's
		1970		Mass Graves	4th School
Fr. Flynn		1980	Spire demolished		5th School
Fr. Wharton		1990	Church refurbished	Sister Anne Moriarty	150th Anniversary
Fr. Rice	Fr. Madden	2000	Parishes merge	Prince of Peace Community	Bishop Malone

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Photogallery

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Saint Oswald

St.Oswald, King and Martyr, 604-642.

Oswald was born into the Northumbrian Royal Family in 604, the son of Ethelfrith. When in 616 his uncle Edwin killed the king, the 12-year old Oswald with his brothers and sister fled to Scotand and at St. Columba's great Celtic monastery of Iona was converted to Christianity.

After the death of Edwin in 633 Oswald returned to Northumbria and was crowned king. The following year he fought and killed Cadwalla, king of the Welsh in the battle of Heavenfield, near Hexham. He later extended his kingdom southward and westward and invited St. Aidan to come from Iona to spread Christianity in this pagan area.

A monastery was founded in Lindisfarne which became a base for the missionary journeys of King and Bishop throughout the kingdom. Churches were built e.g. the foundation of the later York Minster; mission cells spread the Celtic traditions of St. Columba across northern England. Many villagers were converted, youths educated in monastic centres, the poor shepherds and cowherds gathered to hear the word of God, the sick were healed and the destitute fed and clothed.

Throughout his eight-year rule Oswald established law and order, and fought physically and spiritually to benefit his people In 642 he led his forces against King Penda of Mercia at the battle of Maserfeld where he was killed and his body dismembered. His followers recovered his head and his brother, Oswy, sent the holy relics to Lindisfarne where it became an object of veneration during the life of St. Cuthbert.

He was canonised in 692 and his feast is kept on 5th August. During the Viking raids in 875the monks fled from Lindisfarne and carried their relics with them, including the body of St. Cuthbert, the head of St. Oswald and the Linldisfarne Gospels through many flights and wanderings over many decades. Eventually, after nearly 200 years they were interred in the new church at Durham.