St. John's Church, Lafayette Square

St. John's Church, Lafayette Square St. John's Church, Lafayette Square is an historic Episcopal church, and a vibrant community of faith. Join us for worship:
Sundays at 8, 9 and 11 a.m.

M-F at 12:10 p.m. For more than 200 years, St. John's Church, Lafayette Square has been a space for grace in Washington, D.C., welcoming people of any age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, economic status, and political affiliation to worship together. What unites St. John's is a common desire to know God through moving music, gripping preaching, engaging lectures and classes,

welcoming fellowship, and energizing outreach ministries. We are an Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Washington and part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Our historic building is located at the corner of H & 16th Streets Northwest, across Lafayette Square from the White House, as well as on the corner of the newly named, Black Lives Matter Plaza. John’s is known as “the Church of the Presidents” because every president since James Madison has attended a service and it is registered as a National Historic Landmark. Yet the real power and prestige of St. John’s emanate from the generations of faithful parishioners who, unfailing in Christian love, compassion, and generosity, have responded to the needs of their day, reaching across our city and around the globe in service to the world. Wherever you are in your life with God we invite you to make St. John’s your spiritual home.

Happy Pride Everyone!!
06/20/2026

Happy Pride Everyone!!

Despite some road closures in the District today, our young adults gathered for their first summer brunch of 2026. If yo...
06/14/2026

Despite some road closures in the District today, our young adults gathered for their first summer brunch of 2026. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, please join us after the 10:30 a.m. service on July 12 for another meal together.

June is Pride month when many across the nation honor the LGBTQ+ community’s struggle for equality, dignity and respect....
06/02/2026

June is Pride month when many across the nation honor the LGBTQ+ community’s struggle for equality, dignity and respect.

This year, the Episcopal Church commemorates 50 years of affirming that LGBTQ+ people “are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church.”

We continue this journey and join in proclaiming the good news of God’s love.

Our choirs gathered to celebrate the close of the 2025-2026 program year! We are deeply grateful to Linda and Chappy Sto...
06/01/2026

Our choirs gathered to celebrate the close of the 2025-2026 program year! We are deeply grateful to Linda and Chappy Stowe who served as our interim associate organists this year. Their musicianship has been a tremendous gift to our worship.

Over the course of the program year, our choirs offered more than 130 anthems and choral works to the glory of God!

Summer Choir begins on June 21 and is open to singers of all levels. Contact Director of Music, Brent Erstad, for more information.

05/13/2026

Six-time GRAMMY®-nominated Skylark brings its acclaimed program Clear Voices in the Dark to St. John’s, Lafayette Square. Centered on Francis Poulenc’s extraordinary wartime masterpiece Figure Humaine, composed in secret in occupied France during World War II, the program pairs resistance-inspired French choral music with songs from the American Civil War era, tracing parallel expressions of grief, endurance, and hope across two centuries of conflict. Presented in the historic church where Abraham Lincoln walked to pray during the Civil War, the program was released as Skylark’s twice GRAMMY®-nominated album of the same name and praised by Gramophone as “inspired.”

🎟️ https://stjohns-dc.org/about/calendar/skylark-vocal-ensemble/

A glorious morning at Washington National Cathedral! Congratulations to our newly confirmed, received, and reaffirmed m...
05/09/2026

A glorious morning at Washington National Cathedral! Congratulations to our newly confirmed, received, and reaffirmed members, and grateful thanks to friends and family for their loving support!

Last night, the Latrobe Young Adult Fellowship had a great turnout for its 1789 Holy Communion service. Many thanks to D...
05/07/2026

Last night, the Latrobe Young Adult Fellowship had a great turnout for its 1789 Holy Communion service. Many thanks to Dr. Derek Olson for helping us stay faithful to the historic ceremony and for his thoughtful presentation on the many surprising features of the prayer book.

Image: The Presidents’ 1789 Prayer Book, printed 1856.

Tickets are on sale now for Clear Voices in the Dark — performed May 31 by Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Skylark.This ...
05/07/2026

Tickets are on sale now for Clear Voices in the Dark — performed May 31 by Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Skylark.

This innovative program pairs Poulenc's Figure Humaine (composed in 1943 in occupied France) with songs of the American Civil War. Join us in the very room where Lincoln prayed and explore a program that critics have called "intoxicatingly touching".

🎟️ Get your tickets here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36635/performance/11799729

▶️Learn more about the program:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_fpHXh_1E&list=RDxS_fpHXh_1E&start_radio=1

This weekend was filled with joy. The Rev. Dr. James Hawkey offered a refreshing sermon on Sunday’s lesson from John 14....
05/05/2026

This weekend was filled with joy.

The Rev. Dr. James Hawkey offered a refreshing sermon on Sunday’s lesson from John 14. The 10 a.m. conversation with the rector generated thoughtful discussion about his work at Westminster Abbey and the importance of unity in the Anglican Communion.

We are grateful to and our relationship with .

🇺🇸 Since its founding, St. John’s has been a witness to American history. 🎂 This Wednesday, our young adult fellowship w...
05/04/2026

🇺🇸 Since its founding, St. John’s has been a witness to American history.

🎂 This Wednesday, our young adult fellowship will host a service for Holy Communion using the 1789 Book of Common Prayer in honor of America’s 250th and St. John’s 210th anniversary.

🥂 Join us for this intimate yet special service. Worship will be followed by food, drinks and a talk by liturgical scholar Dr. Derek Olsen.

🕧 When: May 6 at 6:30 p.m.

📸 Image: President John F. Kennedy visiting St. John’s Church, 1963.

Address

1525 H Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20005

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

(202) 347-8766

Website

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