Rev. Anne Robertson

18/06/2026

17/06/2026

NHCT recently awarded St Paul's Church, Spennymoor a grant of £15,000 to go towards stonemasonry works. The church is a Grade 2 listed building and situated prominently within the town and enjoys a pivotal role in its community, regularly hosting weddings, baptisms and funerals. The church congrega...

09/06/2026

My first time at Prayers in the Park tomorrow. I’m looking forward to discovering another part of the parish, meeting new friends and worshipping God in his glorious creation.

(I’m also reliably informed that God doesn’t mind us sheltering in the nearby cafe if the weather doesn’t cooperate!)

07/06/2026

Another wonderful day! It was a joy to worship at St. Mary’s this morning and then to celebrate the installation of Bishop Rick Simpson as Bishop of Durham in the cathedral this afternoon.
God is good!

05/06/2026

We are very pleased to announce the launch of a new School Transport Bursary, designed to help remove financial barriers that prevent schools from visiting the cathedral for learning visits.

The bursary will be available from September 2026 to August 2027 and will support eligible schools across the Diocese of Durham.

We look forward to welcoming many more schools and pupils to the cathedral. Find out how to apply here: www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/groups-schools/learning-visits/school-transport-bursary

03/06/2026

Today has been incredibly special and is one which will remain vividly in my memory and heart for years to come.

At 11am, in a wonderful and intimate service, I was licensed as Assistant Curate to St. Mary’s Church in Cockerton.

The service was taken by Bishop Frank White and in attendance were friends old and new from across the parishes I have had, and have, the privilege of serving in.

We were then treated to an unexpected and perfectly lovely reception, featuring cakes, pastries and scones.

My heartfelt thanks go to Bishop Frank and the staff at Auckland Castle, to everyone who came to support me today, and to all those who have been holding me in prayer over the past two years, and this morning.

It is certainly not in my own strength that I am able to answer God’s call each day, but carried in prayer and in the love of Christ, I will continue to follow Him and share His love with all I meet and in any way I can.

Your Sister in Christ,
Rev. Anne

25/05/2026

Dear friends,

I am pleased to tell you that after a lot of unpacking, hanging curtains and rebuilding furniture, the vicarage is beginning to feel like home.

It is with joy that I can also now say that my licensing will take place on the 3rd of June in the Oratory at Auckland Palace.

Due to the size of the venue numbers are limited but I have been able to invite a few friends from my previous parishes in Gateshead and Durham, and my new parish in Darlington.

I will preside at the Eucharist for the first time in St. Mary’s Cockerton on the 14th of June. The service begins at 10am and Fr. Barry Abbott will be preaching. There will be a glass of fizz available after the service - and I’ve heard rumours of cake too!

All are warmly invited to attend and celebrate this new beginning as I continue to follow God’s call on my life.

Every blessing,
Rev. Anne

24/05/2026

Today is Pentecost - sometimes called the Birthday of the Church.

The Day of Pentecost marks fifty days since Easter Day and brings the Easter season to an end. It’s a major feast of the Church’s year when Christians recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, empowering them to begin the work of making disciples of all nations.

Pentecost (which comes from the Greek word for ‘fiftieth’) has its roots in the Jewish Feast of Weeks.

Jesus had promised his followers that, although they would not see him after his Ascension, they would receive the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire them.

The Acts of the Apostles describes how the crowds gathered in Jerusalem – representing many nationalities and speaking many languages – were able to hear the disciples preaching in their own language.

'When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.'

Acts 2, Chapter 2