St John's College

St John’s College is an Anglican Diocesan School under the care of the Bishop of Johannesburg as established by the Constitution and Canons of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The school was founded by the priests of St Mary’s Church in 1898 to provide an Anglican education in the growing town of Johannesburg. The Anglo-Catholic character of St John’s College was then instilled by the priests and brothers of a Benedictine monastic order called the Community of the Resurrection, who ran the College from1906 to 1935. Guided by St Benedict’s Rule, the principles of prayer, study, work, and recreation were enculturated as the balancing rhythm of the school’s character.

The chapel stands physically at the heart of the school and community worship will always be at the heart of St John’s. Our chapel worship observes the Anglo-Catholic character of The Community of the Resurrection, whilst embracing African expressions and idioms. It is in these daily and weekly acts of community worship that the school’s foundational principles, values and ethos are expressed. The lived values of Lux, Vita, Caritas embedded in this heritage lie at the heart of our ethos and they are affirmed daily in our routines of prayer, song, and Mass.

Staff, students and parents who choose St John’s, do so freely with the understanding and respect for the Christian faith at the heart of the character and life of the school. Today our chapels welcome a racially, culturally, and religiously mixed community, all the while retaining our commitment to our identity as an Anglican Church school.

In keeping with the Catholic and Evangelical heritage of the Anglican Communion, St John’s College's spiritual emphasis is placed on shared values that reflect Christlikeness – principally the Love of God demonstrated in open hospitality, inclusion, personal integrity, justice, equity, and compassionate care for those in need. It is the agency of these values, based on the personhood of Christ himself, that is still venerated in our chapels and classrooms today.

In addition to our weekly chapel routines and divinity classes, the Chaplains are primarily concerned with the pastoral care and well-being of our students and staff.

Leap Of Faith Leap The Anglo Catholic Heritage And Spiritual Ethos Of St Johns College Signed 1 June 2021

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School Prayer

“Lord God our Father, who art Light and Life and Love, look down in love upon our College of Saint John: make it to be a home of religious discipline, sound learning and goodwill, which may send forth many rightly trained in body, mind and character to serve Thee well in Church and State: supply our wants, and give us increase as shall seem Thee good, and let Thine angels drive away all evil from us; through Thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Amen.”

Rev James Okey Nash – 1906

School Hymn

Collegium S Johannis

Lord God our Father, who art Light, Life and Love, Look down on our College in love from above; Pray make it a home where, with Thee its true head, Sound learning may flourish and good will be bred.

Lord, for its sons may its purpose remain Their minds, bodies, characters rightly to train – That all true Johannians go forth from its gate Equipped well to serve Thee in Church and in State.

May all our wants still by Thee be supplied With bountiful increase should Thou so decide, Let Thy holy angels drive evil away And guard Saint John’s College, for Thy Son’s sake we pray.

Words: John Harris (OJ) Music: Irish Traditional Melody (Based on the School Prayer of Rev James Okey Nash – 1906)