Poem: In Honour of St John's

The following poem was written by the Revd. S. J. Forrest, vicar of St John's from 1954-1961. It comes from extracts of a toast proposed by Fr Forrest at the Parish's Coronation Dinner in 1953, and is reproduced from the 1955 copy of the Parish Year Book.

In Honour of St John's

Revd. S. J. Forrest

It is my joy to raise a toast
In honour of a gracious host
And cheerfully dilate upon
The happy parish of St John.
To solemnise in worthy ode
That darling Church in Sutton Road;
Wherein is taught, without restraints,
The Faith delivered to the Saints.

In Gothic style all firmly based
And furnished well, in perfect taste,
This noble Temple of the Lord
Wherein our Master is adored,
(And dwells with merciful intent
Within His Blessed Sacrament);
Here meets a happy family
Who claim the Son of Zebedee,
Their patron and their friend above,
In one apostolate of love.

Alas that some will misconstrue
The things the Faithful love to do,
And seem to grudge our Blessed Lord
The very best we can afford,
Who fail to find here manifest,
The Church of England, rightly dressed.

Rejoice for all who in this place
Have found the means of highest grace,
And men and women, age and youth,
Have boldly witnessed to the Truth.
So may this parish long endure
To teach a Gospel firm and sure,
So may her children lean upon
The patronage of good St. John.

And I would wish, for all the rest,
That priests and people may be blest,
Their love increase form strength to strength,
In depth and height, in breadth and length,
Faithful to God in life and death
And true to Queen Elizabeth.