Saint Philip's Day

On May 1 of each year the Episcopal Church, among others, honors Saint Philip. He shares the day with Saint James the Less (which distinguishes him from James, son of Zebedee) and both men were among the twelve apostles.

Saint Philip’s in the Hills has historically remembered its patron saint on the first Sunday in May. Commemorations have varied through the parish’s 85-year history. Perhaps it is fitting enough that this year, on May 2, we will re-occupy the sanctuary in limited fashion after a one-year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you might imagine, Saint Philip’s has a rich history, captured in two publications available from the bookstore. One publication was issued on the 50th anniversary, the other on the 75th anniversary. If you are interested in purchasing either or both of these, contact Mtr Mary Trainor at mary.trainor@stphilipstucson.org

If you didn’t know, the parish has an imminently qualified archivist who guards and preserves our heritage through various photographs, writings, and other items. Cecelia Hunter has a wealth of knowledge about Saint Philip’s, and if you haven’t asked her about her work with the archives, perhaps you should.

We gathered but a just a bit of our history for a special web page presentation this year. And we are starting a series of articles from you, recalling your own association with the parish across time, and with photos if you have them. That said, you will want to make sure to read John Bremond’s fascinating account of his family’s history with this church, dating to the 1940s. John himself has personally known each of Saint Philip’s rectors, from Fr Ferguson to Fr Hendrickson.

You can find the webpage for Saint Philip’s Day here.