St John the Evangelist

Introduction

St John the Evangelist in Mongeham and Sandwich is a Romanesque-style red brick church with a stone front and mullioned windows, built in six months and blessed and opened for worship on 27 February 1934. The church was originally designed to double as a dancehall and social centre, retaining its sprung wooden dance floor as the main church floor and its original ticket office in the entrance hall.

History

St Andrew's and St John's were incorporated into a single parish of Mongeham and Sandwich, within the Dover deanery, with the priest based at the presbytery next to St John's.

Architecture and furnishings

The altar is made of English alabaster and white marble, with a reredos featuring life-size figures of Christ crucified, Our Lady of Sorrows and St John in the design and colours of Pugin. A small mining lamp, reflecting the mining heritage of the original congregation, is located near the altar on a small shelf above the left side altar server's pew. To the right of the main church is a small Chapel of Our Lady containing a window dedicated to the local Tudor Catholic martyr, the blessed Roger Filcock. The church organ was installed in the organ loft in 2018 by F.H. Browne & Sons of Ash, using refurbished Victorian steel organ pipes, and is mounted in the gallery above the entrance.

The previous 1950s smaller Manders organ was relocated to the parish's sister church of St Andrew's, Sandwich. Access to the organ and choir loft is via a stone spiral staircase to the left of the entrance hall. Mass is celebrated in the parish according to all three forms available to the Latin Church.

Parish life

The parish serves the Catholic community of South Deal, Walmer, Worth and Sandwich. The church has links to St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School next door and has a church hall, the Godric Centre, behind the main church that houses the Rainbow Preschool during the school term and is available to rent at other times. The parish priests served as chaplains to the Convent for The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions in Rectory Road, Deal until it closed in June 2023. The church's first priest was chaplain to St Ethelburga's Convent, Deal, which closed in the 1970s.

Sacraments and pastoral care

On 3 August 2025, four candidates received First Holy Communion after a preparatory Catechesis course, with three also combining their Baptism into the faith.

Visiting

A movable metal ramp placed in front of the door before and after services makes the church wheelchair accessible. A car park sits in front of the presbytery, which is located to the left of the church. The Godric Centre, the church hall behind St John's, is reached by a path to the right of the church.