The Forty Hours Devotion is a special forty-hour period of continuous prayer made before the Blessed Sacrament in solemn exposition. The 40 hours period is special because it represents the amount of time Jesus spent in the tomb.

St. Philip's devotional period starts after the 7:00 pm evening Mass on Thursday, November 20. It culminates with prayer and Benediction at 5:00 pm on Saturday, leading into a special Bilingual Mass at the Saturday 5:30 Vigil Mass.

There will be special confession times during the 40 Hours:

Friday: 8:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 7:30 pm

Saturday: 8:30 am and 4:00 pm

Next weekend, we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the last Sunday of each liturgical year. Spending time in Eucharistic Adoration is wonderful way to demonstrate the Christ is our king.

In November 2022, Bishop Burbidge presented 23 strategic initiatives to the People of God in the Diocese of Arlington. Among those 23 initiatives was one exploring the interest of a Catholic-based Vocational Program in the diocese. Recently, the diocese completed a first survey, and in that survey over 92% of respondents enthusiastically supported such a program. 

This overwhelming response prompts the effort to advance to the next step: to survey for preferences on the model (or kind) of school and the location of that school. This is a momentous idea, and I respectfully ask each of you take the survey out of personal interest or for the good of the diocese. The survey is available in English and Spanish.

The survey will be available from Oct 23 – November 23

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered for their Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore, the bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States.

We invited to either watch the video or read the full text of message.

Dear Friends in Christ,

This Sunday, as we approach the conclusion of the liturgical year, we are celebrating World Day of the Poor united with our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and the Universal Church. This is a good reminder for all of us to remember those who struggle to find the resources for them to live, and who look to our care to assist them in their need. Here at St. Philip’s, we have the special honor to commemorate this event with Bishop Burbidge as he celebrates the 10:30 AM Mass in English for us here at the Parish. United with our Bishop, we dedicate our efforts to help those who are in most need in our communities, and seek to imitate Jesus who has a tender love for those who suffer from physical and spiritual poverty (see Mt. 5:3).

In this week’s letter, as we continue to learn about the lives of the Saints, I invite us to ponder the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a Saint who possessed a particular love for the poor and those who are in most need. Elizabeth was born in July 1207 into the royal family of Hungary as the daughter of King Andrew II and Gertrude of Merania. At the very young age of fourteen, Elizabeth was married to Louis IV, the Landrave of Thuringia, which is a region in modern-day Germany. From all accounts, this marriage was a happy one for both of them, and together Elizabeth and Louis had three children together, and they lived their lives in service to the Church.

According to legend, as Elizabeth was serving food one day to the poor, her husband and his companions happened to see her and asked her what she had in her cloak. Thinking that she was misusing the food of the palace, they asked her to reveal what she had hidden in her mantle. As she opened her tunic, immediately white and red roses miraculously tumbled to the ground as an outward sign of her dedication to the poor.

Tragically, at the age of 20, Elizabeth experienced the death of her husband, Louis, as he was traveling to the Sixth Crusade. Elizabeth was devastated at the loss of her husband, and after moving to the city of Marburg, she vowed herself to a life of chastity, poverty, and obedience to her confessor, Konrad von Marburg. From the great inheritance that she received after the death of her husband, she constructed a hospital to help minister to the most needy in her city, and she took great care to minister to those in need herself. Elizabeth died at the age of 24 in 1231, and was canonized in 1235. St. Elizabeth of Hungary illustrates to us one who has a keen interest in caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the Church. Not all of us can serve the poor like Elizabeth, but we can support those who serve the poor, especially through our own ministries here at St. Philip Parish. As we continue in this month of November, we are being invited to consider how we are currently supporting the ministry of the Parish through our regular offering, and see if there is a way to increase our support for our Parish. St. Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us!.

May Christ’s Peace be with you,

Fr. Briggs