Durham, England
I pray thee, loving Jesus . . . Thou wouldst mercifully grant me to attain one day to Thee, the fountain of all wisdom and to appear forever before Thy face.
—Venerable Bede (A.D. 672–735), English scholar, teacher, and writer
Durham Cathedral, rising majestically from a hill in northeastern England overlooking the River Wear and ancient Durham, is a stunning example of Norman architecture. Although the cathedral, built in the middle of the tenth century, no longer holds the eighth-century illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels that combine Christian and Celtic themes, it does safeguard other treasures, including the tomb of medieval scholar Bede, author of The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, and the relics of Saint Cuthbert, the bishop of Lindisfarne, described by Bede as “afire with heavenly love, unassumingly patient, devoted to unceasing prayer and kindly to all who come to him for comfort.”
If you feel a spiritual link to Saint Bede or Saint Cuthbert and would like to pray for guidance, visit Durham Cathedral. From London, reach Durham by plane, train, ferry, bus, or car (A1M motorway). No interior photography is permitted.
Attend a traditional service or the special service for peace and justice. Pray for Saint Cuthbert’s comfort, insight, and guidance.
Cuthbert was so revered for his spiritual succor to others that when he died in A.D. 687, the wandering monks of Lindisfarne carried his body with them until they reached Durham in 995, where they enshrined him in the White Church, which is the site of Durham Cathedral.