St. John’s, founded in 1843, is a church bristling with new life. Earlier this year, the 150-member parish in Rosebank installed a new rector, the Rev. Roy Cole, after many years of working with a long-term supply priest and a dedicated vestry and wardens. The congregation is proud of its determination, its prayerful willingness to grow, and its diversity.
The parish has the vibrancy of a mosaic, with parishioners who trace their roots to Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Central America. It is a place where bright pieces of culture, language, dress, customs and history wash up against each other and meld into one distinctive whole.
Father Cole made a point of honoring that diversity at his institution in February. He insisted that the event should not be catered but that parishioners should bring dishes that represented their ethnic background.
“I wanted the people to be authentically included with offerings of their culture and one of the best ways to do that is through food,” Father Cole said.