St John's Church, Watford
St John the Apostle & Evangelist, Watford | |
---|---|
Anglo-Catholic | |
Website | www.saintjohnswatford.org.uk |
History | |
Dedication | St John the Apostle |
Administration | |
Province | Canterbury |
Diocese | St Albans |
Archdeaconry | St Albans |
Deanery | Watford |
Parish | St John the Apostle & Evangelist |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Fr David Stevenson |
The Church of St John the Apostle and Evangelist is a Church of England parish church located in Sutton Road, close to the centre of the busy market town of Watford in Hertfordshire. It is within the Diocese of St Albans and has throughout its history been one of the leading Anglo-Catholic churches in the southeast of England. Today it is part of the Richborough Episcopal Area, and lies in the pastoral and sacramental care of the Provincial Episcopal Visitor.
History
St John's Church, Watford, dates back to 1873. The ancient parish church of St Mary's was extensively restored in 1871, and during this time a temporary tin church was erected in the churchyard. With St Mary's re-opened, the tin church was re-erected on some donated ground in Sotheron Road (now Sutton Road). On 23 November 1873 St John's Church began.
The temporary building, with seating for 450, attracted a growing number of people, and was considered very '
The Church was designed by the architect Eley Emlyn White. It has been a Grade II Listed Building since 1983.[1]
Restoration work has been undertaken in the latter half of the twentieth century. The
Interior
St John's has a fine
Regular events and services
The church has an active schedule of services and community events, including:
- Services
- Parish Mass (Holy Communion) with Hymns (Every Sunday, 10:30-11;45)
- Holy Communion (Every Friday, 10:00)
- Children's services
- Messy Church (First Saturday of the month, 11:00-13:00)
- Breakfast Club and Sunday School (Every Sunday, 09:15-11:45)
- Social events
- Community Coffee Morning (Every Wednesday, 10:30-12:30)
- Coffee and Art (Every Friday, 10:30)
St John's Primary School
The church is working closely with the Department for Education and the Diocese of St Albans to establish a new church Primary School in the parish. Official approval was granted by the Department for Education in 2014, with the school scheduled to open for its first year's intake in September 2016. More information can be found on the school campaign's Facebook page.[2]
Vicars
- The Rev. J.H. White – 1873-1898
- The Rt. Rev. John M. Steward - 1898-1904
- The Rev. Canon R.H.L. James -1904-1954
- The Rev. Stanley J. Forrest - 1954-1961
- The Rev. R. Salter - 1962-1998
- The Rev. J. Cope - 1999-2007
- The Rev. E. Lewis - 2008-2010
- The Rev. D.E. Stevenson - 2011–present
References
- ^ "Church of St John, Watford, Hertfordshire".
- user-generated source]