Monday, July 6, 2015

Church #34 - St. Philip, Smithfield



I went to Mass here years ago as part of a young adult event. The church is in a very typical modern style. From everything I've seen and heard, this is an extremely vibrant and active parish, one that I'd be proud to be a part of. It has a school and lots of different events and activities. Its bulletin is an impressive 10 pages long.



The highlight of the parish is its 24-hour adoration chapel. As I'm sure I've written before, I wish every parish had something like this, though I certainly understand from a logistics/numbers standpoint why most of them don't.


In the pictures above, you can see two St. Philips quoted on the walls of the sanctuary. St. Philip Neri's picture appears in the bulletin, so I guess he's the "official" patron saint. Philip Neri lived in Italy in the 16th century, and is known as the "Apostle of Rome." He was a layman for a long time before becoming a priest, but he became well known for the wonderful example he set in ministering to the poor and marginalized of the city. After finally becoming a priest he founded a society for priests called the Congregation of the Oratory, which helped revitalize the spiritual energy of the clergy at a time when it was in great need of reform.



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