Friday, 4 September 2009

St Cuthbert

Today is the feast of St Cuthbert, the second patron of the Diocese of Lancaster. This banner of him, which hangs beneath the Cathedral's organ gallery next to the Bishop's coat of arms, was put in place on May 1st, the day Bishop Campbell took over leadership of the Diocese. Here the saint is seen with Durham Cathedral behind. He is depicted, as is traditional, holding the head of St Oswald; seemingly this iconography is based on the belief that for a time, when Cuthbert's body was being transported from place to place to protect it from Viking looters, a part of Oswald's body was carried with it.