St. Philip Catholic Church News & Updates

Pilgrimage to Lourdes and Spain

Join Fr. Briggs from October 13th-24th, 2024, on a pilgrimage to Spain and Southern France. This pilgrimage is offered through ProRome Tours, and will travel in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Bernadette, and St. Teresa of Avila. Space is limited to 45 pilgrims, and is open to all. Visit the ProRome Website or scan the document below to register. 

Eat, Drink & Be Catholic RCIA Reunion

All are welcome to Evening Prayer at 6 pm in the church, followed by a potluck dinner in Hayden Hall to reunite and celebrate with those who have entered the Church in recent years. Please bring a dish to share. Donations for WorkCamp are welcome.



Contact the rectory or Suzanne Webb at suzannedwebb@hotmail.com for more details.

A Chronological Study of the Gospel: Every Tuesday through June 25

St. Philip parishioners can partake in a chronological journey of the Gospels. Based on a study by Father John Riley, retreat master and spiritual director at the diocesan San Damiano Retreat Center, participants will be provided with daily readings from all four Gospels in the order they occurred.

An introductory Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 9 after the 7 pm Mass in Room 4. The study will run through June 25 with discussion meetings held every Tuesday night.



Contact the rectory or Suzanne Webb at suzannedwebb@hotmail.com for more details.

Celebrate at the Diocese's Jubilee Fest

Bishop Burbidge invites you to the Diocesan Jubilee Fest at Warren County Fairgrounds in Front Royal, Virginia on Saturday, June 8, 2024!

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Arlington with your parish family and thousands of faithful from across northern Virginia. Kick off the festival giving thanks to God with the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the

Mass, celebrated by Bishop Burbidge. Following Mass, enjoy live music by headliner Celtic rock band, Scythian. Head to arlingtondiocese.org/jubilee-fest to register.

Heaven in Your Home will be held this Saturday, April 13

You’re invited - your kids too - to meet up with other Catholic families to build community and support one another in making home a little taste of heaven for the renewal of faith and culture. Come hear a brief presentation and share in small group conversations while kids play. Childcare will be available. The evening includes a pot-luck style dinner, dessert and fellowship!

This is a Heaven in Your Home free event for the whole family (single parents welcome) on Saturday, April 10 from 5-7 pm in Hayden Hall.

Details can be found here.

Annual 4-Car Raffle

The tickets for the annual Car Raffle have been mailed. This is the same raffle that we have participated in for the last number of years. This year 4 vehicles will be raffled as well as a $20,000 cash drawing, along with additional cash drawings.

You will notice that the ticket returns are being processed at All Saints again this year. This is required by the Department of Charitable Gaming. The raffle continues to benefit our parish, specifically Work Camp and many other charitable causes throughout the diocese, as it has in the past. We hope that you will support our efforts by buying or selling your tickets. Please make your checks payable to All Saints.

Food Pantry

Don’t forget the Food Pantry when doing your grocery shopping. There is always “need.”

Currently, we especially need Jelly, Rice, Oil, Hearty Soups, and Drinks. For more information, please email eac2427@gmail.com.

• Make sure you don’t donate expired food items.
• We cannot accept dogfood or any kind of petfood.

Pray for Our Deceased

Longtime parishioner Fulgencio Marti passed away on April 5, 2024. His funeral will be on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 10:00 am. May he rest in peace.

Join the Diocese at the National Eucharistic Congress

You are invited to join the Diocese of Arlington for the historic 10th National Eucharistic Congress to be held at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 17-21, 2024. Tour packages including accommodations and a ticket to the Congress are available through Corporate Travel Services.

For pricing and more information, check out our website at https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/national-eucharistic-revival/

Contact Sister Marie Benedict Elliott, F.S.E. for more information on St. Philip Youth Ministry.

Arlington Camino Interest Meeting: Tuesday, April 16, 7:45-8:30pm

St. Philip will join other parishes to pray for vocations on a walking pilgrimage from St. John the Apostle Church in Leesburg to St. Thomas More Cathedral during Memorial Day weekend (May 25-26). Those 14 years and older may participate without a parent. Those under age 14 need a parent present to participate. Learn more at our interest meeting in Room 4, or contact Sister Marie Benedict Elliott, F.S.E. for more information or to register.

Middle School BASH! Saturday, May 4, 2:30- 9:00 pm

Bishop Burbidge invites all middle school students (grades 6-8) of the Diocese to join him at BASH 2024 for music, games, inspirational speakers, confessions, and a Vigil Mass for Sunday! Please contact Sister Marie Benedict by April 29 to register. We will meet at and return to the St. Philip parish office. Registration costs $15. Learn more at: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/youth-ministry/bash/

EXALT: An Evening of Worship: Thursday, April 18, 7-8:30pm

The Diocese of Arlington Youth Adult Ministry will host a Young Adult Holy Hour at St. James, with music led by EXALT.

Night of Prayer: Sunday, April 21, 6:45-8:30 pm

St. Anthony of Padua parish hosts Eucharistic Adoration for high schoolers, with opportunities for intercessory prayer, confession, silent reflection, and praise and worship music. Parents are welcome, too!

Saturday, April 20, Young Sacristans Following Mass at 8 am

Moms and daughters assist with preparing the church for Sunday worship, followed by reflection and refreshments, concluding at 10:30 am

Fellowship Fridays: Faith, Food, & Fun, 3-5 pm

Join students in grades 6, 7, and 8 for prayer, games, and refreshments to support one another in our journey of faith. Feel free to bring a friend!

Anima Christi High School Group: Sundays, 6-8 pm

Join high school students for prayer and fellowship on Sunday evenings.

"Come and have breakfast" (Jesus: Jn. 21:12),

Thursdays, 7:15-7:45 am

High school students are welcome to Room 4 for prayer and breakfast on Thursdays.

Read the Bulletin Online Every Friday

Get a jump on the week's news and read the St. Philip Parish Bulletin online every Friday here.

Are You Registered at St. Philip?

It is important that you are registered with the Parish of Saint Philip so we may adequately respond to your spiritual needs. Please note that you must be registered to receive a Sponsor letter or enroll your child in any of sacramental programs. If you are over the age of 21, you are asked to register independently of your parents. Registration forms are available in the Parish Office or online here.

Dear Friends in Christ,

What a blessing it is for us to have this Season of Easter! For us Catholics, this time is filled with much rejoicing, and we are joyful that Christ has given us the hope of eternal life. While much of the world celebrates Easter for just one day, Easter Sunday, we are invited to continue the joy of Christ’s resurrection for many days, fifty days, to be exact. For me, this time of year is one of my favorites, not only because of the warmer weather, but for this truth of our Faith that the power of death is always conquered by the hope of new life.

As we continue our journey through this season of Easter, we resume our discussion of the four Marks of the Church. From our discussion last week, we learned that the Church is One since God is one (Num. 6:4), and he desires for all humanity to be united as one under Jesus (Jn. 17:21). While this unity is found most concretely in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we hope to attain perfect unity when we are in full communion with God and with one another in Heaven.

This week, our focus shifts to the second Mark of the Church, namely that the Church is Holy. When we think of holiness, we often think that holiness is something that only Saints, priests, and religious brothers and sisters have, not something for the common person. However, as Jesus reminds us throughout the Gospels, we are all called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt. 5:13). He was not only speaking to the elite priests and scribes when he said this, but he was speaking to the disciples who had gathered to hear him teach the way to enter into his kingdom. As I mentioned in a previous bulletin letter (January 14th, 2024), the call to holiness is universal, and it helps us to conform our lives more closely to Jesus and to one another.

For many of us, we can ask, “If the Church is meant to be holy, why do some of its members live their lives doing un-holy actions?” To understand this, we must remember that all holiness comes from Christ who is perfect himself, and who calls all to perfection (Mt. 5:48). However, all of us here on earth within the Church are still in need of purification from our sins, and so we are constantly in the process of being renewed by Christ (CCC #827). While we live on this earth, the Church embraces all men and women, laity and clergy, into her embrace, and invites them to conform their lives more closely to Christ.

When we think of holiness, we can often think that it leads to a life that is boring and dull. However, to counteract this viewpoint, we are given great examples of holiness in the lives of the Saints. Each Saint is unique in the way they lived out holiness in their lives. For example, Blessed Bartolo Longo was a satanic priest who lived in Italy, but who converted to the Catholic Church through the intercession of the Blessed Mother and her Rosary. St. Maria Goretti not only chose to die rather than give up her purity, but she even forgave the young man who murdered her. And Blessed Carlo Acutis was a young teenager who not only enjoyed video games, but had a passion for the Eucharist that inspired him to create a website for Eucharistic miracles. Holiness is not something dry and lifeless, but is something that is enriching and vibrant.

May Christ’s peace be with you!

Fr. Briggs

May 18: KoC Cornhole Tournament

May 25-26: Arlington Camino walk/event

Jun 8: Diocesan Jubilee Festival in Front Royal

Jun 23: 2nd Annual KoC Childern's Carnival

Jul 17-21: 10th Annual National Eucharistic Congress

Jul 27: St. Philip Yard Sale