Join your parish community on Tuesday, December 22, to help decorate the Church and campus for Christmas. The work will begin at 5 p.m., with a chili supper served by Parish Life Ministry at about 6:30 p.m., when the work is done. The Tucson Flute Club will entertain with seasonal music while we prepare decorations and luminarias. Bring a dessert to share.

The office will be closed on Thursday, December 24. In addition, there will be no Holy Eucharist Rite I at 11 a.m. on December 24.

The office will also be closed on Monday and Tuesday, December 28 and 29 (thus, no Tuesday 10 a.m. healing service). The office will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30. There will be a Rite I Eucharist at 11 a.m. on December 31.

St. Philip's offers five services on Christmas eve, at 3:30 (new time), 5:00 (new time), 7, 9, and 11 p.m. Each service (except the 3:30 p.m.) starts with special music 10 minutes before service time. There is also a Christmas Day Eucharist at 11 a.m. (congregational carol singing at 10:50). To read a full description of each service, click here.



In keeping with the teachings of the one whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas, St. Philip's extends a welcoming hand to everyone who seeks to worship with us. Therefore, we offer seating for the Christmas Eve and Christmas services on a first-arrived, first-seated basis. It is a good idea to plan to arrive early for the service of your choice. You may expect to wait in lines outside, so dress accordingly. If you wish to minimize your time spent waiting in line, you may consider attending the less crowded services on Christmas Eve -- at 5 or 11 p.m. -- or the Christmas Day service at 11 a.m. Please be sure your entire party is assembled before you enter the church, as saving seats is not permitted.

Although the parking lots are patrolled, it is a good idea not to leave valuables in your car.

For the 3:30 p.m. service on Christmas Eve, you are invited to bring your Baby Jesus from your home crèche (nativity set) to be blessed during the service. This service will feature our Cherub and St. Cecilia Choirs. A live Nativity scene will follow the service.

The 5, 7, 9, and 11 p.m. services on Christmas Eve and the 11 a.m. service on Christmas day begin with pre-service music and congregational carol singing, at 10 minutes before the listed service time.

The 11 p.m. service on Christmas Eve will include incense.

Please join all St. Philippians in sending a gracious and welcoming message to all who seek to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Amahl and the Night Visitors

St. Philip's Friends of Music presents Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors with full orchestra and chorus!  This one-act opera in English will delight those of all ages! One night in Judea, a disabled shepherd boy and his mother are visited by three strangers. They are the Three Kings, and they are on their way to Bethlehem to visit the Christ Child, who has just been born.



On Saturday, January 9, 2016, in the Church, two performances will be offered, at 4:30 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at coffee hour, by going online, or by calling St. Philip's Friends of Music at (520) 222-7277. Event sponsorships are also available. Ask for details.

Gian Carlo Menotti's one-act opera celebrates an immortal story of transformation and healing through the eyes of a child. This very approachable musical and dramatic gem, full of grandeur, resplendent costuming and mystery, will captivate imaginations and animate the spirit.

This is a wonderful experience to share with loved ones!

To read more about the production of Amahl, click here.

Cherub and St. Cecilia Choirs to Debut New Robes Christmas Eve

We are so excited for our growing Cherub Choir and new St. Cecilia Choir. We value the importance of the growth of these youngest parishioners in our church through music, and we are so thankful for their participation. We believe that leading worship and serving others through music is a strong core value of our music ministry. We wear our robes to represent ourselves as leaders, and it symbolizes the hard work we put into music and liturgy. We hope to let everyone know that Cherub Choir and St. Cecilia Choir are an integral part of our community. We purchased these robes to send a strong message that they are serving our community just like our youth and adult choirs. A big thanks to Laura Rubbo, Tori Holter, and others who helped in organizing the process and fitting and hemming these robes for our children.