Happy to be back at Alnmouth Friary this morning to celebrate the Eucharist w/ the brothers, guests & friends. It’s lovely to see a community of 8 young men living out a Franciscan vocation in C21st. (They’re not pictured as they were busy clearing up after breakfast when these photos were taken!)

Each post will comprise an inspiring image & some words of explanation from the relevant chaplain. Pictured: Illumination Window in Durham Cathedral. It commemorates Sara Pilkington, a Combined Arts student. It was designed & created by Mel Howse @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Happy Wesak to Buddhist students, staff and friends celebrating the birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana (death) of the Buddha this month @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Join Heather & Robert, our Buddhist Chaplains, for meditation sessions to end the working week & begin the weekend open to all @durham.ac.uk students. No previous experience required. Each session is followed by an opportunity to chat over a cuppa in the TLC café @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Cherry trees blossoming at Durham University @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Yesterday, Franciscan friar & YouTuber Fr Casey Cole gave a lecture on ‘Healing wounds: a Franciscan mission in a world misshaped by screens’ in Durham. It was good to hear a distinctive perspective on Catholic engagement w/ social media that seeks to be positive & meaningful

Happy Vaisakhi to Sikh students, staff and friends celebrating the creation of the Khalsa (community of initiated Sikhs)! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

He is risen! The chaplains wish Orthodox Christian students, staff and friends a happy Pascha/Easter @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

A glorious Easter Monday on Observatory Hill in Durham

Happy Easter! Today, Christians throughout the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

This morning, most of the University’s Anglican chaplains joined w Acting Bishop of Durham, clergy & lay leaders for an uplifting Chrism Eucharist in Durham Cathedral. It’s a special opportunity for deacons, priests & bishops to renew their ordination vows @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Chag Pesach Sameach to Jewish students, staff and friends celebrating Passover! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Last week, I enjoyed a spiritually-invigorating retreat on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Pictures: monks carrying St Cuthbert’s coffin, St Cuthbert, St Aidan (founder of the Lindisfarne community) & view of the Castle with the Priory ruins in the foreground @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Eid Mubarak! It was a pleasure to drop into today’s Eid celebration at the Oriental Museum in Durham. Thanks go to the Islamic Society & colleagues at the Oriental Museum for organising a fun & friendly event. Pictured w/ 2 students & 2 of my sons @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Eid Mubarak to Muslim students, staff and friends of @durham.ac.uk! @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Join the County Durham Faiths Network for an evening of interfaith sharing on ‘“Love you neighbour”: what does this mean to you, and how do you put it into practice?’ @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Great to be at St Andrew’s Church in Newcastle for a wonderful Iftar: warm, friendly Geordie hospitality w/ a focus on unity & peace. Especially good to hear from a Sri Lankan refugee about the welcome he received on arriving in Newcastle. I enjoyed seeing old friends too! @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Mahshid (Muslim Chaplain) & I participated in discussion today w/ students in Theology & Religion & Dr Guillermo Martin Saiz & Fran Brandon-Higgs (SU). We discussed Islamophobia, interfaith dialogue & benefits of engaging with those different from ourselves @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Yesterday, it was an honour to participate in the election of the next Bishop of Durham in my role as an honorary canon of Durham Cathedral @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

The chaplains send greetings to everyone celebrating International Women’s Day! We give especial thanks today for our women chaplains @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Happy Holi to Hindu students, staff and friends of @durham.ac.uk celebrating today! @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Students & colleagues at @durham.ac.uk: if you’d value support, please reach out to the chaplains - email [email protected] or find contact details for all the chaplains at www.durham.ac.uk/faith-support @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

A personal reflection: Lent begins quietly for me this year after a busy day with this book created by the Society of Francis… ‘Ash Wednesday gives us that… invitation: to name what needs healing - in ourselves, in our communities, and in our relationship with creation’ @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Ramadan Mubarak to Muslim students, staff and friends beginning the month of Ramadan! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Happy Year of the Horse to students, staff and friends celebrating the Spring Festival! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Happy Maha Shivratri to Hindu students, staff and friends on this Festival of Lord Shiva! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Enjoying refreshments in the Deanery with members of the massed college choirs who sang Choral Evensong most wonderfully in Durham Cathedral today @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

It’s World Interfaith Harmony Week. To find out more, go to worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com It’s a great week to reach out to those of differing faiths in friendship and harmony. Our fragile and divided world needs individuals with the courage to do so @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Job alert! Apply now for our two Student Interfaith Leader posts. Deadline: 16 February 2026 👉 durham.taleo.net/careersectio... @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

@durham.ac.uk students, staff, alumni & friends: come & support your College Choir as they join w/ the Cathedral Choir to sing Choral Evensong in Durham Cathedral at 3.30pm on Sunday 8 February. Individuals of all faiths, beliefs and worldviews are most welcome to join us @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

This evening, we marked #HolocaustMemorialDay w/ event organised by @durham.ac.uk Jewish Society, Stephenson College & Chaplaincy Network. Vivienne Cato shared her mother Eva’s story as Slovakian Jewish Holocaust survivor. We also held an act of commemoration @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Today is #HolocaustMemorialDay. We remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. We also remember the millions more people murdered through the Nazi persecution of other groups and in more recent genocides #lightthedarkness🕯️ @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

#HolocaustMemorialDay event today in Newcastle w/ candle-lighting, prayers, secondary school students’ reflections & songs by massed choir of primary school children. Sensitively led by Smajo Beso, Bosnian Genocide survivor, w/ input from Holocaust survivor, Martin Stern @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Welcome Alex Gooch as Assistant Chaplain at St Mary’s College! Alex’s approach is informed by his lifelong interest in philosophy. He believes it can help us to understand ourselves & to live better. As a non-religious chaplain, he’s available to College members of all faiths, beliefs & worldviews

Mindfulness sessions in Epiphany Term All @durham.ac.uk students welcome!

The Listening Service is available to all @durham.ac.uk students and staff To make an in-person or online appointment, email [email protected]

Happy Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti to Sikh students, staff and friends celebrating the birth of Guru Gobind Singh! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Stephenson College, Jewish Society & Chaplaincy Network welcomes all DU members to Holocaust Memorial Day Event. Vivienne Cato will speak before we #LightTheDarkness. To attend, complete forms.office.com/pages/respon.... Pre-registration is required @shaidmahmood.bsky.social @durham.ac.uk

All DU students are most welcome to join us for our weekly Mindfulness sessions which restart on Tuesday 13th January. The theme will be ‘New Year, New Me?’ @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

It was a delight to celebrate an early morning Eucharist for the friars and guests at Alnmouth Friary on this the Feast of the Baptism of Christ. Although, the snow and ice made the journey somewhat ‘interesting’!

A joyful day of academic congregations today @durham.ac.uk. Congratulations to Fersa, Sebastian, Dr O’Hare (pictured) and all who graduated today or will do so tomorrow @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Enjoying a fire on this the last day of 2025. I’ve just finished reading a book about the 3rd Earl of Portsmouth & wondering whether any of my ancestors were involved in the 1830 Swing Riots in Hampshire. I pray that 2026 will bring health, joy, peace, justice & new discoveries. Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas to all! Best wishes from me and Keller, my canine friend

Delighted to say words of thanks on behalf of @durham.ac.uk to our staff and students for this fantastic effort in donating Xmas gifts to 3 local charities working with vulnerable people in local neighbourhoods and communities. Well done @dulib.bsky.social ! @revdgavinwort.bsky.social

The Listening Service is available to DU students and staff throughout the vacation period. If you’d like to meet online or in-person with a listener, email [email protected] to arrange an appointment @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

The chaplains wish Jewish students, staff and friends Chag Hanukkah Sameach! Overshadowed as the festival is by news of the tragedy in Australia, be assured of our condolences and prayers. May light triumph over darkness @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

This evening, Dr Robert Bluck (Buddhist Chaplain) gave the @durhamuniversity.bsky.social Chaplaincy Christmas Lecture on ‘Buddhism & Christianity: Rivals or Allies?’ It led to numerous thoughtful questions from those present. Picture: Dr Bluck & I - allies not rivals! @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

Fascinating visit to Faith Museum at Auckland Castle today w/ County Durham Faiths Network. Good for our group to provide feedback & offers of objects to better represent the diversity of faiths in Britain. Pictured: Prehistoric marked rock, C4th menorah & Stone Cross head @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

I was delighted to receive today from Jess Foster (President) a badge marking honorary life membership of the Hild Bede Student Representative Council (SRC). Go Hild Bede! @durham.ac.uk @shaidmahmood.bsky.social

‘Religion is global and ubiquitous. So it’s something universities should highlight - not avoid.’ I welcome this research on religions and worldviews on campus. Thank you Kirstine Aune, @mathewjguest.bsky.social & Matthew Mayhew. @shaidmahmood.bsky.social