It was part of Saturday's Miners' Gala which drew 200,000 people, including Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn who called the event "Europe's biggest demonstration of working class culture".
The festivities included a large procession to Durham Cathedral led by brass bands and hymns.
The Very Rev Andrew Tremlett, Dean of Durham, gave the sermon at the Miners' Gala service.
He told Premier: "It's thanking God for the heritage, the lives of these communities, some of them have suffered terrible tragedies and it's absolutely right that we remember those."
Rev Tremlett reminded the audience it wasn't enough to acknowledge the mining tragedies over the years, but to use what happened as a fuel for change today.
He said told those in attendance: "The tragic and needless loss of life in the Grenfell Tower fire prompts in us the crucial question as to whether change is only prompted when disaster falls.
"Do we wait until a tragedy occurs before we do something about it? Do religious groups, political parties, local authorities only respond when something so bad, so shocking happens that there is no option but to change.
"So we need to ask ourselves the reverse question: are we not called rather to be change-makers, transformers of our communities before things go awry, before the catastrophe, before lives are blighted and futures crushed?"
A 108 year tradition of the festival service includes the blessing of banners representing different mining communities.
This year, banners for the communities Pelton Fell, Trimdon Colliery and South Moor were carried in the procession and placed at the cathedral.
Rev Tremlett told Premier the significance of the tradition.
He said: "This is a way of galvanizing the community, maintaining their identity, a sense of pride in their locality and bringing them in to be blessed by the bishop"
Listen to Dean of Durham Andrew Tremlett speaking with Premier's Ian Britton.