WELCOME TO SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH

Welcome to St. John's Church, Lafayette Square—a vibrant historic Episcopal church located across from the White House. We invite you to join with us for worship, Christian fellowship and outreach.

History

From our organization as a parish in 1815 to today, St. John's Church has provided a powerful symbol of faith in the heart of our nation's capital.

Mission

At St. John's, we believe Christ is calling us to be a renewed church in a changing world. In worship, education, parish life, and social action, we seek to expand our horizons by serving God by loving one another.

Clergy, Staff, & Vestry

Meet St. John’s diverse and engaging clergy, vestry and staff.

Directions & Parking

Located at the corner of 16th and H Streets in Northwest Washington, St. John's is near the McPherson Square and Farragut North Metro stations. Limited street parking is available; free valet parking is offered for certain hours.
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Grievances

sadness
“It is worth living long enough to outlast whatever sense of grievance you may acquire.”
When I came upon this line in Marilynn Robinson’s novel Gilead, I thought of my father, toward whom I held a deepening grievance through much of my life.
My father was a good man, a traditional and respected breadwinner, who left kinder and kitchen to my mother. He was an engineer operating in a black-and-white world, one with no gray edges, no poetry.
The older I grew, the more I resented his emotional absence. Though I spoke often with my mother, he rarely came to the phone. He never once asked about my work, thoughts, or feelings. There was ample sustenance in my life, so eventually I made my own way, leaving him to his silence.
Late in his life, everything changed. My mother sank into dementia, and he became her caretaker. He and I started having real conversations about our hopes, fears, and disappointments. We both expressed gratitude for this unexpected intimacy; yet I deeply regretted all the lost years: he was ninety-three.
We carry around all sorts of grievances, some petty, some legitimate.  It is natural to resent an insensitive remark, unjust treatment, a father’s silence. But it can be wasteful and unproductive to take these affronts on face value, to infer ill will where there may be only carelessness or to assume a cold heart in someone who possibly speaks a different language and longs to be heard.

 -Livy More

 
 


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