Special Art Show:
"Visions of St. Philip's"

An Iconic place, beloved by its members and Tucsonans for its beauty and serenity, St. Philip's will celebrate its 75th year in 2011.Over the years it has inspired artists in all media to create their own vision of St. Philip's. To honor this important milestone the Murphey Gallery is sponsoring a special exhibit of images of St. Philip's. Forty to fifty works will be selected for exhibit in the Gallery from December 5 through January 5, 2011. Twenty-five works will be chosen as a traveling exhibit to several venues in Tucson, commencing January 6 and returning to St. Philip's in May of 2011 for a final showing.

For more information (Word document)

Entry form (Word document)

Married at St. Philip's?

Were you married at St. Philip’s? (Married 75 years? or 1 year?) Interested in renewing those sacred vows? In celebration of St. Philip’s In The Hills 75th Anniversary, all couples who were married at St. Philip’s are invited to renew their vows in a group ceremony on Saturday, February 12, 2011, at 3 p.m. in the Church. This service will include a celebration of the Eucharist and special music with a short reception following. Thank offerings will be gratefully accepted ($75 suggested). If you would like to participate, please notify the office at (520) 299-6421 or RenewVows@stphilipstucson.org. Please include the year and day you were married at the church, address (e-mail and street), phone, and of course, your names! If you are in touch with someone who was married at St. Philip’s but has moved away, please forward this information to them!

Volunteers Needed

St. Philip’s 75th Anniversary Year is fast approaching, and the 75th Anniversary Committee is hard at work planning and scheduling special concerts, programs, publications, and parties. Befitting this Anniversary, events are already unfolding. As we all know, an event or organization is only as strong as its volunteers. The committee is thereby creating a volunteer database on which we can rely in making the many great events happen. To make these a success, we need your talents and help, from organization and fundraising to execution. No contribution of time, expertise, or talent is too small. If you are interested in helping, please contact Gwen Powell, our volunteer coordinator, at gpowell@email.arizona.edu. Make sure you tell her what interests you. We look forward to hearing from you and hope you will join the jubilation in celebrating our Anniversary Year.

75th Anniversary TimeLine

The 75th Anniversary Celebration Committee is planning to display a TimeLine Banner of the history of St. Philip’s during the 2011 celebration. A committee working to create this time line is accumulating dates of significance to be included and is asking parishioners for help. On the second and fourth Sundays of each month for the next year, a large display board will be set up during Coffee Hour after the 7:45 and 9 a.m. services. Parishioners are asked to leave a note on the board about dates they consider important in the history of the church.

In the works ...

The following are some of the exciting plans for our 75th Anniversary Celebration. Watch for more details!

Timeline Complete
September 2010

Joesler Tour
30 October 2010

Visit of Presiding Bishop
5-6 February 2011

Renewal of Marriage Vows
12 February 2011

St. Philip’s Day
75th Anniversary Celebration
8 May 2011

Family Night “Zorro” Movie
September 2011

“Special” Concert
6 November 2011

Youth Celebration
26-27 November 2011

History Book Published
TBD

Cookbook Published TBD

Special Event January 2012

St. Philip's In The Hills Episcopal Church was founded in 1936. When the first service was held on Christmas Eve, the congregation overflowed the seating capacity. The Josias Joesler-designed building, standing on land donated by John and Helen Murphey, was just a small chapel on the outskirts of town, accessed by dirt roads. The church has gone through several expansions as the congregation grew, but the integrity of Joesler’s design has been maintained in the buildings. In the mid-1980s, an art gallery, a memorial garden, the east and west transepts and a campanile, which houses the carillon, were added. During the summer of 1998, a Children’s Center and Recital Hall were built. The mission of St. Philip's 75th Anniversary Committee is to celebrate our past and prepare for our future, as a strong and loving community that welcomes, encourages, and empowers all to grow in Christ and to do God's work in the world.

75th Anniversary Commemorative Plate

The 75th Anniversary Committee is contemplating producing and offering for sale a high-quality commemorative plate, with an image of St. Philip's on the front and a brief history on the back. For only $39 (of which $25 is a tax-deductible donation) you can own this keepsake — or give it as a gift! To produce these beautiful artifacts, we must have orders for at least 40 plates before we can arrange for their production. Secure your plate(s) now! Fill out the order form at the table during Coffee Hour on Sunday mornings, or print it, fill it out, and bring or send it to the office (attn: Warren Edminster).

Questions? Call Warren at (520) 887-5997 or wedminster@gmail.com.

An Offering of Art Treasures

The 75th Anniversary Concert on April 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Church — “An Offering of the Art Treasures of St. Philip's” — was a huge success, thanks to meticulous planning and organization and a lot of hard work from numerous volunteers. The program may be viewed here. The Church created a lovely backdrop for the beautiful music and fascinating presentations. A festive reception was catered by Elle Restaurant.

The 75th Anniversary Committee wishes to thank the parish for its strong support of the concert. Proceeds will help to pay travel expences for past Music Directors to return to St. Philip's to conduct and participate in 75th events in 2011. Funds will also go toward St. Philip's Day 2011 Fiesta expenses. Thank you!