Special Services

Dia de Los Muertos and All Souls Memorial Service

all souls ofrenda 2012El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an event celebrated in many Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico. The Day of the Dead is a time to remember and honor the deceased and is usually characterized by ofrendas, which are shrines or altars constructed to present offerings to the spirits. Since Dia de los Muertos is considered to be a celebration of eternal life rather than a sad event, ofrendas usually reflect whimsical portrayals of the dead as they were when they were living.

St. Philip’s In The Hills invites you to remember your departed loved ones by contributing to an ofrenda, which will be set up in the Columbarium Garden at St. Philip’s through November 2. Photographs, meaningful objects, and memorabilia are all suitable offerings. Objects may be placed on the ofrenda any time the office is open (Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

The ofrenda will be used in conjunction with St. Philip’s All Souls’ Day memorial service on November 2. In the Anglican Communion, All Souls’ Day is the traditional time to remember loved ones who have died. On Wednesday, November 2, we will celebrate All Souls’ Day with a special Memorial Eucharist at 7:00 p.m. Particular attention will be given to remembering those who have died within the past two years, but we will celebrate all of our loved ones enjoying eternal life in the nearer presence of God. We invite families to remember their loved ones by lighting one of the votive candles found outside the church door prior to the service and placing it on the altar.

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The service concludes with a candlelit procession into the Columbarium Garden for prayers around the ofrenda. Afterwards, the celebration of life continues with a festive reception.

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For more information, please contact Stella Lopez (299-6421 or stella.lopez@stphilipstucson.org). St. Philip’s is located at 4440 N. Campbell Avenue at River Road. Ample parking is available in the north parking lot or under our solar parking structure on the east side. The Columbarium Garden is located to the west of the main Church building. The office phone is 299-6421.

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Blessing of the Animals Service

bless of animals3The community is invited to join parishioners at 9 a.m. on Sunday, October 23, to celebrate one of Tucson’s favorite Blessing of the Animals services. The service will be held in the church plaza of St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church. This observance was begun more than 35 years ago and continues to be one of the most popular events of the church year. It celebrates the loving relationship shared by humans and their pets, with opportunities to give thanks for the blessings animals give to us. Readings and prayers focus on the wonders of our world and our responsibility as humans to be good stewards of God’s creation. All types of animals are welcome at this service. Participants are asked to keep their pets appropriately restrained. (This service does not include communion. The usual Rite II Eucharist will take place in the Church, also at 9 a.m.)

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The public is cordially invited to attend the service. A freewill offering will be collected.

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St. Philip’s is located at 4440 N. Campbell Avenue at River Road. Ample parking is available in the north parking lot, or under our solar parking structure on the east side. The office phone number is 299-6421.

Holy Week and Easter at St. Philip’s

St. Philip’s has seven services on Easter Day: 6 a.m. (in the Columbarium garden), 7:45 a.m., two at 9:15 a.m. (one in the Church, one in the Children’s Center Courtyard), 11:15 a.m., 4 p.m. (“Come and See” in the Music Center), and 5:30 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter, at 7 p.m. on Holy Saturday evening, is considered the first Easter service. There is at least one service each day during the days of Holy Week. For more information see below. For a downloadable schedule, click here.

Easter Services

great vigil 1The Great Vigil of Easter is held on Holy Saturday, March 26, at 7 p.m. The service begins with the Service of Light (lighting the New Fire and Paschal Candle and candlelit procession, with incense), the Vigil recounting the history of our salvation (through readings and chanting), Holy Baptism, and the first Holy Eucharist of Easter. The service will be followed by a potluck reception: participants are invited to bring their favorite sparkling beverage and chocolate finger food, in addition to noisemakers for the Easter Proclamation.

CIMG0559Easter Day, March 27, will begin at St. Philip’s with a sunrise service at 6 a.m., including hymns, with keyboard and trumpet (held in the Columbarium Garden). At 7:45, there will be a Festival Eucharist Rite I (Eucharist in traditional language), including hymns, with organ and trumpet. At 9:15 there will be two services: an All Generations Eucharist and Baptism outside (in the Children’s Center Courtyard) with the St. Nicholas and Cherub Choirs, handbells, and brass, designed for schoolage children and their families, and a Festival Choral Eucharist Rite II (using more modern language, adopted in 1979) in the Church with adult choirs, handbells, and brass. Another Festival Choral Eucharist Rite II, including incense, will take place at 11:15 a.m., again featuring adult choirs and brass. At 4 p.m. there will be a “Come and See” Eucharist for those who are looking for a reinterpretation of traditional theology. At 5:30 p.m. there is an Evening Eucharist Rite II with hymns.

Holy Week Services

holy week cross 2On Monday of Holy Week, March 21, there is a Holy Eucharist Rite II service at 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel of the Nativity. At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 22, there is a Holy Eucharist Rite II and Healing service. On Wednesday, March 23, the final Lenten noontime Holy Eucharist Rite II will take place at 12:15 p.m.

The Ancient Office of Tenebrae, on Wednesday evening, March 23, at 7 p.m., is a moving descent into the darkest days of the church year. The liturgy is a merger of the traditional Matins and Lauds, with plainchant led by the Canterbury Choir and Canterbury Apprentices. During the service all of the lights in the church are progressively extinguished except one candle.

20130328_193514The Triduum, or “three sacred days,” begins on Maundy Thursday through Holy Saturday. The Liturgy of Maundy Thursday, March 24, begins with a supper at 6 p.m. Enjoy lasagna, salad, rolls, and dessert, hosted by St. Philip’s Vestry. The liturgy, at 7 p.m. in the Church, includes the traditional footwashing, Eucharist, and Stripping of the Altar, which symbolizes the laying of Jesus in the tomb. Music will include plainchant.

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After the Maundy Thursday service, beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing until 10 a.m. on Friday, March 25, Dante’s Inferno will be read the way the author intended. Each 30-minute segment of the all-night vigil in the Church will include reading of selected cantos from the Inferno, silent meditation, and atmospheric music. Participants may arrive and leave throughout the night. Security will be on site all night.

empty tabernacleIt is traditional to have a noontime service on Good Friday, to correspond with the time Jesus’ suffering on the cross began. The noon Good Friday service at St. Philip’s, on March 25, includes veneration of the cross, the Solemn Collects, and communion from sacrament reserved at the Maundy Thursday service.

The Children’s Way of the Cross takes place on Good Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Children’s Center. The Way (or “Stations”) of the Cross is a devotional service of prayer and meditation dating from the early centuries of the Church, with stations representing stops on Jesus’ route to Calvary. This will enable children to experience Good Friday in a way that will better enable them to live humble, sacrificial, joyful lives in the Lord’s service.

At 7 p.m. on March 25, a choral ensemble, soloists, and instruments will present the 17th Century work Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz (The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ from the Cross) by Heinrich Schütz. Each section of this oratorio focuses on one of the phrases uttered by Jesus from the cross, as recorded in the Gospels.

The public is cordially invited to attend. St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church is located at the northeast corner of River Road and Campbell Avenue (4440 N. Campbell). Ample parking is provided in the north parking lot or under the solar structure on the east side. It is a good idea not to leave valuables in plain sight in your car during Easter services. The office phone is 299-6421.

Ash Wednesday and Lent at St. Philip’s

ashes3 croppedSt. Philip’s offers four services on Ash Wednesday, February 10. At 7:30 a.m., Holy Eucharist Rite I and Imposition of Ashes; at noon, Holy Eucharist Rite II and Imposition of Ashes; at 5:30 p.m., All-Generations Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes, and at 7 p.m., Sung Eucharist Rite II and Imposition of Ashes.

In addition, the “Ash Mob” from St. Philip’s will be administering “Ashes To Go” at various locations around town: Raging Sage Coffee House on Campbell (8–10 a.m.), Northwest YMCA (9–11 a.m.), Starbucks at Campbell & River (10–11:30 a.m.), the River Walk at Campbell & River on the south side of the river (10–11:30 a.m.).

Ash Wednesday is preceded by the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 9, at 6 p.m. in the Murphey Gallery. The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday comes from the need to use up such ingredients as sugar, fat, and eggs, whose consumption was traditionally restricted during the ritual fasting associated with Lent (“Mardi Gras” is French for “fat Tuesday”). Proceeds from this fun night of fellowship and yummy food ($7 person/$20 family) prepared by the J2A youth and parents go toward the J2A pilgrimage. At 7 p.m. we will transition from Epiphany to Lent with the Burning of the Palms in the Fishpond Garden.

On Wednesdays during Lent, the J2A youth and their parents host Lenten Soup Suppers at 6 p.m. in the Murphey Gallery. Hearty, homemade soups (including a vegetarian option each week), bread, salad and dessert ($7 person/$20 family). Why cook when you can support the J2A pilgrimage, share a Lenten tradition, and enjoy fellowship over a delicious bowl of homemade soup at the same time?

At 6:45 p.m., the Rev. Canon Ted Holt leads an evening class. He invites you to explore sin, evil, and guilt as realities that have affected us all ever since the mythical days of Adam and Eve and that Slippery Serpent. Weaving Biblical, theological, and psychological ways of viewing the themes of sin, evil, and guilt, he will do so in a way that will likely be quite new to you, and along the way expand your understanding of how each functions (as well as malfunctions) in your life and the lives of those around you. The class will end with Close of Day Worship at 7:30 p.m.

Miranda Agnew, trumpetOn Thursdays during Lent, Friends of Music presents noontime recitals beginning at 12:15 p.m. Entitled “Rising Stars in the Next Musical Generation,” the series showcases young high achievers in the Tucson area who will dazzle with their professional polish, maturity and technical prowess. Listen to the newest generation of musicians as they ascend to the professional stage — an entertaining and relaxing way to spend your lunch hour. All concerts are held in the Bloom Music Center. Suggested admission is $10. The series begins on Thursday, February 11, with trumpeter Miranda Agnew performing contemporary classical works. Click here to read more about the series.

rob voyleOn Saturday, February 27, St. Philip’s offers a special Lenten Retreat Day: entitled “Discover Your Purpose” with the Rev. Dr. Rob Voyle. Click here to read more about this offering and to register.

Click here for a schedule of Lenten services, classes, recitals, and other events.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Services

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St. Philip’s In The Hills is a large Episcopal church on the northeast corner of River Road and Campbell Avenue, with a beautiful Joesler-designed structure and lovely grounds.We offer special services and other events throughout the Advent season. For a full schedule click here.

A large number of people attend services on Christmas Eve. We offer five services on Christmas Eve (3:30, 5, 7, 9, and 11 p.m.) and one on Christmas Day (11 a.m.). Services are approximately one hour in length except for the Children’s Service, which is about a half-hour.

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live nativityThe 3:30 p.m. service on Christmas Eve is a communion service especially designed for toddlers and preschoolers and their families. Music will feature the Cherub and St. Cecilia Choirs (young children’s choirs), with organ and trumpet. Attendees are invited to bring Baby Jesus from their home crèche (Nativity Set) to be blessed. The service is followed by a live Nativity scene in the church plaza, reenacted by children and a young family from St. Philip’s.

At 4:50 p.m., music begins, which leads into an All-Generations Eucharist at 5 p.m. This is a Holy Eucharist service for school-aged children and their families. Music is provided by the St. Cecilia Choir and St. Nicholas Choir (children’s and youth choirs), with trumpet, handbells, and organ, as well as congregational carol singing. The Chalice Players, a group of youth, will dramatize the Christmas story.

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The 7 p.m. Candlelit Eucharist with Carols is preceded by music beginning at 6:50. This quiet, reflective Choral Eucharist service is rooted in our ancient Anglican tradition. It includes carols sung by the St. Nicholas Choir and Schola Cantorum; also harp and popular carols for congregational singing.

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The 9 and 11 p.m. Festival Eucharist services begin with music 10 minutes before the hour. The service music is Mass in G by Franz Schubert, scored for choir, soloists, and chamber orchestra. There will also be handbells and popular carols for congregational singing. The 11 p.m. service includes incense.

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On Christmas Day, congregational carol singing preceding the 11 a.m. service begins at 10:50, followed by the Feast of the Nativity, which is a Holy Eucharist Rite II service with choir and well-loved congregational carols.

The public is cordially invited to attend. Worshippers on Christmas Eve should be aware that they will be waiting in line outdoors and should dress accordingly. Those who want to minimize waiting in line may wish to consider attending the less crowded services, at 3:30, 5, or 11 p.m. or on Christmas Day. We welcome everyone seeking to celebrate the birth of Jesus by worshipping with us.

St. Philip’s is located at 4440 N. Campbell Avenue at River Road. The main parking lot is to the north of the Church. Although there will be security on site, it is advisable not to leave belongings in vehicles. For more information about St. Philip’s, please click here.

The Kirking o’ the Tartans

bagpipes processionThe “Kirking o’ the Tartans” will be celebrated at St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church on Sunday, November 20, at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services. The Tucson Highlanders, a pipe band dedicated to the music of the great Highland bagpipes and Scottish-style drumming, will head the procession to and from the church on that day.

Scottish and nae-Scottish parishioners and visitors are encouraged to wear their tartans to this service. They will be invited forward at the conclusion of the service to have their tartans blessed.

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Kirking o’ the Tartans is said to have originated during the 18th century, when the English rulers attempted to subdue rebellious Scottish people by prohibiting them from wearing tartans, symbols of their clans and family solidarity. Some hid wee bits of their tartans under their clothes and had them blessed at church. However apocryphal this tale, St. Philip’s uses this occasion to celebrate the Scottish heritage of the Episcopal Church. The Scottish Episcopal Church is important in our history because it is independent of the Church of England. This allowed the consecration of the first Episcopal bishop in the fledgling United States, Samuel Seabury, in 1784, because it took place in Scotland and thus he did not have to swear allegiance to the British crown. As a result, the Communion rite adopted by the Episcopal Church in 1790 was closely based on the Scottish liturgy, rather than the English.

The public is cordially invited to attend. A freewill offering will be collected.

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St. Philip’s is located at 4440 N. Campbell Avenue at River Road. Ample parking is available in the north parking lot or under our solar parking structure on the east side. The office phone number is 299-6421.

Tucson Historic Marriage Equality Rally at St. Philip’s

equals signThe Supreme Court has just ruled that the Constitution requires all 50 states to legally recognize and perform same-sex marriages. On Monday, June 29, at 5:30pm, Tucson will hold a Decision Day Rally at St. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church. The event is sponsored by the Wingspan Multifaith Working Group and the 7th Annual Multifaith Pride Service, and hosted by St. Philip’s LGBTQ-A ministry. TIHAN, SAAF, PFLAG, the LGBT Jewish Inclusion Project, and the Culture of Peace Alliance are providing community outreach support.

Faith and community leaders will share prepared statements about this historic case and the long-fought struggle for LGBTQ rights in America and here in Arizona. Three elected officials — Congressman Ron Barber, State Representative Victoria Steele, and Tucson City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich — will speak at the event. Rabbi Thomas Louchheim of Congregation Or Chadash, Rev. Greg Foraker of St. Philip’s, and the Rev. Mike Smith and Sylvia Thorson-Smith from St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church will share perspectives on the decision from the Judeo-Christian Tucson community. Scott Blades, Executive Director of TIHAN, Ann Yellott from the Culture of Peace Alliance will also give their reflections. This will be an occasion for faith communities to join together to mark this historic time. The Monday date for the rally was to allow Jewish community participation in this program.

St. Philip’s is located at 4440 North Campbell Avenue at River Road. There is ample parking in the north parking lot or under the solar structure on the east side. The statements will take place in the Church, and a reception will follow in the Murphey Gallery. Both spaces are fully accessible. Questions regarding this event may be addressed to Marc Paley, organizer, at 520-306-0157. Cameron Rau (520-440-2240) will serve as the St. Philip’s liaison for this event.

Feast of the Ascension

ascension-window-close-upThe Feast of the Ascension will be observed at St. Philip’s on Thursday, May 14, at 7 p.m. in the Church. The service will include incense. Our preacher will be the Rev. Katie McCallister from St. Alban’s Episcopal Church. We are pleased to welcome the choir of St. Alban’s under the direction of Stephen Keyl, who, along with several of our staff singers, will provide inspiring musical leadership for our liturgy. Katie serves as the Assistant Rector for Children, Youth, and Family Ministries at St. Alban’s. While a student at the U of A and connected to St. Philip’s through the Episcopal Campus Ministry, Katie was a ministry-intern at St. Philip’s, 2010–2011. Katie left Tucson in 2011 for Virginia Theological Seminary. She received her M.Div and was ordained a priest in May 2014. Immediately following was a call to St. Alban’s. She says her time at St. Philip’s had a lasting impact on her formation and she’s thrilled to be invited to preach on Ascension Day.

parish life 14cA festive reception, hosted by the Parish Life Ministry in the Perry Garden, will follow the service.

St. Philip’s Day: Special Music and Festivities

St Philip croppedSt. Philip’s In The Hills Episcopal Church observes the feast day of its patronal saint in early May each year. Liturgically, the day will be marked with special music. On Sunday, May 3, the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services will feature the thrilling Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein, interspersed throughout the liturgy. St. Philip’s adult and youth choirs, with treble soloist, will be joined by members of the choir from Temple Emanu-El to present this monumental work, celebrating our joint Old Testament heritage and our community and friendship through music. This will be a rare occasion to hear the work sung with orchestra, including four percussionists. Well known for his striking musical language, as seen in West Side Story, Bernstein partners his musical expressiveness with one of the oldest of sacred texts, the Psalms.

The public is cordially invited to attend. A freewill offering will be collected during the service. On First Sundays, St. Philip’s has a “food for hunger” food drive to replenish our food pantry to help our neighbors in need. Donations of non-perishable food in unbreakable containers are gratefully accepted. Also on First Sundays, St. Philip’s Prison Ministry accepts donations of new or used paperback books, on any subject, which are donated to Reading Between the Bars to be distributed to prisoners in Arizona.

The day will include festivities in the Plaza beginning at 11:30 a.m. Activities include a dunking tank, karaoke corner, water activities for kids, and fantastic food. The cost for lunch is $7 per person ($20 per family), payable at the event. Proceeds support St. Philip’s J2A youth group.

St. Philip’s is located at 4440 N. Campbell Avenue at River Road. Ample parking is available in the north parking lot or under our parking structure that houses our solar power array. The office phone number is 299-6421.