Welcome!
St. John's welcomes you to explore your faith, grow deeper in love, and make impactful change in your community --- in short, to participate in and to build up God's kingdom here in our world and in our hearts. Join us this loving community, present and making a difference in MetroWest since 1953.
1st Rector
2nd Rector
3rd Rector
Interim Rector
4th Rector
Interim Rector
5th Rector
Co-Interim Rector
Co-Interim Rector
6th Rector
Interim Rector
7th Rector
Priest-in-Charge
8th Rector
Interim Rector
9th Rector
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The Rev. John J. Bishop
The Rev. Lewis B. Sheen
The Rev. William Buttrick
The Rev. Norman J. Faramelli
The Rev. J. Clark Grew II
The Rev. John R. Knight
The Rev. Michael Corrigan
The Rev. Frederick W. Phinney
The Rev. Susan L. Geissler-O'Neil
The Rev. Stephen V. Smith
The Rev. Daniel F. Crowley
The Rev. Judith F. Clark
The Rev. Karen A. Fraioli
The Rev. Dr. Jennifer M. Phillips
The Rev. Noble F. Scheepers
The Rev. V. Michael Bousquet
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October 1956 - May 1966
July 1966 - May 1969
September 1969 - February 1977
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June 1978 - June 1982
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August 1983 - June 1988
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August 1989 - September 2004
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January 2006 - September 2011
September 2011 - December 2014
February 2015 - June 2021
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January 2023 - present
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Our recent history has been noted by continued growth and faith-filled impact. In 1991, under the leadership of our sixth rector, the Rev. Stephen V. Smith, we completed the 23-rank C.B. Fisk-designed organ and dedicated it to the memory of Dorothy Chace. In 2000, the parish called Mrs. Emily S. Sugg to be our Children and Youth Minister. In 2002, we undertook our first service-learning trip to Honduras, which continues to this day, now at Copán with UrbanPromise. In 2023, we called our ninth rector, the Rev. V. Michael Bousquet and will celebrate with joy our 70th anniversary in September. We welcome all to join our story and become a part of our history!
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Our History
The first mention of an interest in having an Episcopal church in Westwood arose in the mid-1940s, and in the early 1950s, the Massachusetts Council of Churches encouraged a canvass of Episcopal strength in Westwood. Under the leadership and guidance of the Venerable Herbert Johnson, Archdeacon of New Bedford, a group of canvassers rang 1,200 doorbells and spoke with an additional 1,000 other individuals, to identify 135 households interested in attending and supporting a new Episcopal parish in our community.
In September 1953, Mr. Johnson called a meeting for “all persons interested in forming an Episcopal mission in Westwood.” Those who attended chose to name the community after St. John, the beloved disciple, and appointed officers and an executive committee and signed by-laws. Services were held at the nearby Deerfield School, with Archdeacon Johnson officiating, for the first year and a half.
By March 1955, the church community had constructed a church building opposite from the Deerfield School and the Right Reverend Norman B. Nash, Bishop of Massachusetts, consecrated it.
In October 1956, the Reverend John J. Bishop was called to be St. John’s first full-time rector. In 1959, the Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts granted St. John's parochial status. By our tenth anniversary, the parish had outgrown the church; thus, in 1963, a building program was begun for an enlarged church and the new parish hall, both of which were dedicated in 1965.
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The RECTORS and PRIESTS-IN-CHARGE of ST. JOHN'S
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Contact
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phone: 781.329.2442