About Our Parish

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About Our Parish

History

The Parish of Saint Philip was founded in May of 1962 when the Most Reverend John J. Russell, Bishop of Richmond, agreed to purchase 12 to 15 acres of land in the Broyhill Park Subdivision and appointed the Reverend L. Longiuire Speight as the first pastor. The Bishop carved the new parish out of three contiguous parishes: Saint James of Falls Church, Saint Michael of Annandale and Saint Anthony of Bailey's Crossroads. Since the major portion of the parish was excised from Saint James parish, the Bishop suggested that it be named Saint Philip, the brother of James the Apostle.

The first Mass was celebrated on September 9, 1962 in the auditorium of Whittier School. On November 10, 1963 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church and the dedication was held on December 15, 1963. In September 1964, the school was opened under the supervision of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. The church buildings and grounds were completed by February 22, 1967.

In August of 1965, the Reverend John T. Cilinski was appointed as the second pastor of Saint Philip. Father Cilinski remained pastor for 16 years, until May of 1981. The Reverend Charles A. Ryan was then appointed as the third pastor in June of 1981. He served the parish until November 1986, when the Reverend Richard B. Martin was appointed that same month as the fourth pastor of Saint Philip.

In November 1987, Father Martin proclaimed a year long period of celebration honoring the 25th anniversary of the parish. Saint Philip's present congregation numbers around 3,900, one of the smallest Catholic communities in the area. Being a smaller congregation has lead to a friendlier and more personal community that often-times is lacking in larger parishes.

In 1989, our school sadly saw the departure of the Sisters of Saint Joseph after 26 years of dedicated service. That year we also saw a first for our diocese with the reorganization of our school with neighboring Saint Anthony's under its new title “Corpus Christi." The early childhood center (preschool) was located at Saint Philip campus, and grades 1-8 at Saint Anthony's campus. Corpus Christi School separated into separate entities in 2018. The preschool, under the direction of Saint Philip, changed its name to St. Philip Early Childhood Center; the K-8 school changed its name to St. Anthony School and added preschool programs in 2019. The St. Philip Early Childhood Center closed in 2020.

Saint Philip Community, “The Church With A Welcome”, invites you to become an active part of our parish family. We look forward to sharing with you and your sharing your gifts and talents with all of us.

Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Denis M. Donahue, Pastor
St. Philip Catholic Church

Motto

"Come and see." Jn 1:47

Mission Statement

To know, love, and serve our Lord Jesus Christ, and like St. Philip the Apostle, to share Christ with the people in our lives, our families, and our communities.

Vision Statement

We envision St. Philip Parish as a family of God's children, set aflame by the joy of the Gospel, a community of disciples inviting the world to "come and see."

For more details about Parish activities, please see our weekly Bulletin.

The Legacy of Ed and Mary Bower
Remembering one of St. Philip's Founding Families