St Johns Church Meerut
The church that is associated to the parish and is in the bishopric of Agra and is in the North of India is named as The Saint John the Baptist or John’s Church. This Church is located in the city of Meerut that is part of Uttar Pradesh a state of India. In the cantonment area of Meerut the work for the church began in the year 1819 by Chaplin Reverend Henry Fisher. This was found for the East India Company. The work for construction of the Church was completed in the year 1822. The church is one of the oldest churches in the Northern part of India.
Bishop Wilson made this church for the local people of the city. A total of 10000 people can be seated in the church at a particular time. There is a cemetery very near to the premises of the Church and the cemetery is called St. John’s Church cemetery. The exterior of the church is beautifully decorated with the trees and have lots of greenery.
History
The church was found by a British Army chaplain Henry Fischer and is a Church of England clergyman who was posted in Meerut.
Architecture
The church has been built in the style of parish church architecture that was into existence before the Gothic Revival came into existence. This church was built in the classical style and this type of style was well suited to the environment and the surroundings of the local city. The church had a very huge interior space so that large crowd could be accommodated and offer their prayers. The structure is such that it has balcony in the upper level but in the current days this area of the church is not used. There have been very minor changes as concerned with the construction of the church. It has been a church that is 200 years old.
Oldest church in North India
This church is the oldest parish church in the network of churches in the Northern part on India. A bawl in the church that was used for supplying fresh air to those in the church during the earlier days when the church was built but this is not functional in the present time. The other amenities in the church that are considered to be two centuries old are the painted glass windows, an eagle stand made up of brass, a baptistery made of marble and the benches and the kneelers that are made of wood.
Church Services
The prayers are held on each Sunday morning in which if the priests are available a Holy Communion is organized. For the Holy Communion an inquiry has to be made in advance by either a clergy or one of the lay ministers and these prayers are offerings to the baptized Christians of all major denominations. The Church practices the Anglican rite and the rites of the Book of Common Prayer.
The timings for the prayers held on the Sunday’s are from 8:30 a.m. in the summers and during winters it is from 9:30 a.m. With the other important occasions like Christian feast days of Easter, Christmas and mark of New Year the prayer offered are at 100 a.m. The Church welcomes all the visitors to it’s premises.
Parish
The worshipers belong back to almost four generations and follow all the tradition and practiced embedded in them by their elders who themselves have inherited this from generations. Various activities and plays are organized during the special time of the year by the Parish club like the on the eve of Christmas.
St John’s Church Cemetery
The cemetery has the graves that are almost decade old and still have the carved headstones.
Photo Gallery
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