St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church was created February 01, 1977, by Bishop John. L. Morkovsky to serve the needs of Catholics residing on the east side of Lake Houston in northeast Harris County, Texas. The parish began with less than 100 families in temporary quarters.
Groundbreaking for the parish’s first dedicated facility was celebrated Sunday, Sept. 18, 1977. The first Mass on the new campus was offered Christmas Eve, illuminated by parishioners holding flashlights.
In I987 the original worship space was converted into a parish hall and kitchen. A new worship area was constructed to accommodate the needs of many new families. Our present sanctuary area is decorated with Austin stone and simple granite appointments—altar, tabernacle, reliquary and ambry pedestal shelves. Flanking the sides of the sanctuary are life-size statues of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. Philip the Apostle.
Ten narrow stained-glass windows depicting the Ten Commandments adorn the brick walls flanking the nave. The entrance of the Church is complemented by a freestanding bell tower (Ital. campanile) supported by electronic carillons.
Apart from the liturgical adornments of the parish worship space, our worship area’s most notable features include a beautiful vaulted ribbed wood ceiling and a custom-built nine octave M.P. Moller pipe organ (1987) consisting of 500 pipes. In 2009 - 2010 St. Philip underwent extensive campus-wide renovation and growth to better serve our households.
Three diocesan priests have provided pastoral care to St. Philip the Apostle parish since its creation: Rev. Marvin A. Hebert: Feb. 01, 1977 - June 30, 1989 (ordained 1951, died Jan. 04, 1999), Rev. George J. Olsovsky: July 01, 1989 – Jan. 31, 2005 (ordained May 26, 1956), and Rev. Richard E. Barker: July 01, 2005 to the present (ordained Sept. 12, 1992).
St. Philip’s mission statement celebrates our solemn commitment to love God and serve in his kingdom: “We the people of St. Philip the Apostle actively strive to be a holy and loving family of faith. We eagerly seek to live the Gospel, being watchful of the opportunities set before us to love and serve God and our neighbor.”
