WELCOME TO ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE ORTHODOX CHURCH

   Located in Tampa, Florida we are a parish of the Orthodox Church in America founded by our present pastor, Fr. Joseph and five others. Our first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on November 6, 2005 and since that time we have increased in membership  eightfold and have been blessed with seven converts. Our parish is a mix of both cradle Orthodox and converts. We are young and old, families and single members. We come from all parts of the country as well as Russia, Moldova, Romania, Greece, Lebanon and the West Indies. The parish is a warm and loving community. We welcome all visitors, be they traveling Orthodox, inquirers, or those who are curious to experience the joy of Divine Liturgy and all other services in English. Also, Fr. Joseph welcomes your calls at (813) 933-9807.

   Our website contains much information about our parish and about Orthodoxy in general. Our menu at left will take you to our services schedule, driving directions and contact information. “About Orthodoxy” will take you to pages of information about the faith in easy to read and understand “Q & A” format. Fr. Joseph’s sermons are available in streaming audio or may be down loaded to an mp3 player. Below are buttons for Ancient Faith Radio, an Orthodox streaming radio station.

   God bless you and please return to our website often.

WE ARE MORE THAN A LOCAL PARISH. WE ARE ALSO A MISSIONARY PARISH.

   At St. Philip we try our best to love God and to love our neighbor. Our full schedule of services helps us with loving God and our outreach activities provide opportunities to love our neighbor. We have a year round food collection for the poor. Our Christmas collection supplies monies for other charitable works throughout the year. Each year we send at least one short term missionary throughout the world. We have sent three parishioners to Africa, one to Guatemala, two to Alaska and this year we will, God willing, be sending one to Mexico.
   Our major project is the building of a medical clinic in northern Uganda. There is an entire website dedicated to the clinic and its address is www.ugandaclinic.org. You may visit the website by clicking here. 

FR. JOSEPH ELECTED TO OCMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 

  At its meeting on May 21, 2013, the Orthodox Christian Mission Center Board of Directors elected Fr. Joseph as a member of the Board. 
 
  As the official missions agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America it is OCMC's mission to make disciples of all nations by bringing people to Christ and His Church.

OCMC Vision:

       That all people may come to know the saving love of our Lord:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

OCMC Values:

1. We value proclaiming and witnessing Christ to all people with priority given to those who have never heard or accepted the Gospel.
2. We value sharing the love of Christ for the care of the total person – spiritual and physical.
3. We value ministry in the language and culture of the people.
4. We value our people – well-trained Missionaries, Staff, Board, Supporters, Indigenous Leadership and those being served.
5. We value communities, parishes, and individuals that are mission-minded and have active mission involvement.
6. We value being an open and transparent agency that values the gifts of stewardship provided to us by the faithful.

CHRIST IS RISEN! INDEED HE IS RISEN!

This year's Holy Week was especially joyful. On Flowery (Palm) Sunday we had an adult Baptism and Chrismation. We started at 9:00 am with the Baptism and most of the parishioners were present. On Holy Wednesday we had a record turn out for the Hoy Unction service. On Thursday the reading of the passion gospels was well attended. Holy and Great Friday was a most moving service. On Holy Saturday morning we changed from dark to light vestment colors and for the first time our new Holy Table vestment was unveiled. We began the Pascal  services at 11:30 pm. We were honored to have Fr. Pavel celebrate with us. His presence allowed the gospel to  be chanted in Church Slavonic as well as Latin and English. Breakfast was a joyful gathering.

PASCHA IN UGANDA

   Fr. George celebrated Pascha with his parishioners at St. Basil the Great parish in Gulu, Uganda. Truly this is one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Father wore a set of Paschal vestments that were a gift to him from Fr. Joseph. Note the way they decorated the eggs compared to our red eggs.

GEORGINA MALONE IS BAPTIZED AND CHRISMATED. 

  On Palm Sunday with the parish in attendance Georgina Malone was Baptized and Chrismated as an Orthodox Christian. She was given the name Monica as a sign of her new life in Christ. Georgina meet us at the Florida State Fair. With family and friends present, she was received into the Church to the great joy of the parishioners.

PAN-ORTHODOX VESPERS HELD AT PARISH.

   On April 7, the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, the Orthodox Clergy Brotherhood of Tampa Bay celebrated Pan-Orthodox vespers at St. Philip Church. Six priests celebrated the service and parishioners from many different parishes were in attendance. At the end of vespers a collection for the building of the medical clinic in Uganda was taken up and by the Grace of God, $8,695 was collected. Following vespers a Lenten meal was served by the parishioners of St. Philip.

LARGE ORTHODOX PRESENCE AT 2013 MARCH FOR LIFE

   On January 25th hundreds of thousands of pro life demonstrators gathered in Washington D.C. for the fortieth anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. This decision, which legalized the slaughter of the innocent in the womb by abortion, was handed down on January 22, 1973. This year the march was held on the 25th to allow for clean up after the presidential inauguration.
   Marchers from all across the country gathered on the Washington mall to hear speeches and prayers from church and political leaders. Metropolitan Tikhon spoke and then, accompanied by other Orthodox Church in America hierarchs, led a large contingent of OCA clergy, seminarians and laity form all parts of America. With a large banner proclaiming "Orthodox Christians For Life" as a back drop the hierarchs led the Orthodox contingent in the march down Constitution Avenue. A prayer service was then held in front of the Supreme Court building. 
   Fr. Joseph, who was in attendance, said that being surrounded by so many pro life supports of all faiths gave him hope and faith that one day this greatest sin of our nation will be again outlawed. He observed that the majority of marchers were high school and college age young people many carrying signs that proclaimed "We are the pro life generation." Father was uplifted that there was another generation ready to take its rightful place in the defense of the sanctity of life.
   At St. Philip parish on the evening of January 22nd, a molieben of repentance for our country's sins of abortion was offered and more than half of the parish was present.
  

HOLY WONDER-WORKING ICON OF ST. ANNA VISITS PARISH

   On November 19, 2012 the wonder-working icon of St. Anna visited the parish. At 7pm an Akathist to the Holy Ancestor of Jesus, St. Anna was held and six priests and well over one hundred people were in attendance. The Myrrh-Streaming Icon of St. Anna began to spontaneously “weep” myrrh on May 9, 2004 – Mother’s Day – in the Russian Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Joy of All Who Sorrow in Philadelphia. Parishioners noticed that the icon appeared to be perspiring, and upon closer inspection, Fr. Athanasy, who was the rector there at the time, realized that the icon was producing an oily liquid that looked like tear drops, as if the Saint were crying.
   The icon is a miracle-working icon. Many women who have had difficulty conceiving a child, or who were told they were infertile, have conceived after praying in the icon’s presence. Fr. Athanasy, himself a devotee of Saint Anna after his mother’s prayers to the Saint were heard and answered during a serious childhood accident, had commissioned the icon in 1998 from the Mount of Olives Convent in Jerusalem.

SOMETHING NEW-A VIRTUAL TOUR OF OUR FACILITIES

We have a new section that offers a virtual tour of our Temple and of our social hall. For the tour click here.

NEW HOME PAGE FEATURE.

As a new feature for our home page a link on the home page will take you to the audio of the sermons from the three preceding Sundays. You can still access all past sermons by clicking on "Audio Sermons" at the left.

Technical Problem Solved-Five New Sermons Posted

AUGUST 8TH
FASTING AND FORGIVENESS-YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER
(Click Here)

AUGUST 1ST
FAST PERIODS-TRAINING FOR BATTLE WITH THE EVIL ONE
(Click Here)

JUNE 6TH
ON THE OCCASION OF THE CONONIZATION OF ST. HERMAN OF ALSAKA
A REFLECTION BY ARCHBISHOP DMITRI

Almost forty years ago, and when he was the Bishop of Berkley, on Archbishop Dmitri, founder and first bishop if the Diocese of the South, gave the keynote reflection at the canonization of St. Herman of Alaska. On this Sunday of the Saints of North America, Fr. Joseph read this still informative and spiritual address by His Eminence. (Click Here)

MAY 30TH
"A CLOUD OF WITNESSES"  THE ORTHODOX SAINTS

On the Sunday of All Saints, Fr. Joseph explores who saints are and our relationship with them. (Click Here)

May 16th
OUR PERSONAL HERESIES.

On this Sunday of the Fathers of the 1st Ecumenical Council, Fr. Joseph explores what a heresy is and how our pride can lead us to our "personal heresies. (Click Here)

May 9th
ON THE SECOND COMING

On the second coming of Christ and how we are to be prepared for it. (Click Here)

APRIL 25TH
PART III OF SERIES ON PARISH LIFE.

Sermon on parish ministry to all mankind. We explore our upcoming Africa mission trips and hear from two of the missionaries. (Click Here)

SUNDAY OF THE MYRRH BEARING WOMEN.
PART II OF SERIES ON PARISH LIFE.

In the parish the saints are equipped for the doing of all good works in the service of Christ. (Click Here)

THOMAS SUNDAY
SERMON SERIES ON PARISH LIFE BEGINS.

Parish life is the foundation of our following of Christ. Here we are fed by His word in the Scriptures and by His body and blood in the Eucharist. Here we unconditionally love and are loved by each other. (Click Here)

PALM SUNDAY

From "Hosanna" to "Crucify Him" in 5 days. What happened? (Click Here)

HERE ARE SOME SERMON SERIES AND SOME SINGLE SERMONS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL.

SERMON SERIES ON DOUBT

   On May 3rd, Fr. Joseph began a two part sermon series on doubt. This first part dealt with doubt caused by trying to assimilate worldly values into are lives. By trying to be "of the world" when we are not. Part I may be heard by clicking here.
   On May 10th, Fr. Joseph gave Part II of the sermon series on doubt. He explored doubt as occasioned by the scandals in the church. To listen to Part II click here.
   For a complete selection of Fr. Joseph's sermon's ranging from the Sacraments to Funeral Practices to Respect Life from conception to natural death, click on "Audio Sermons" at the left.

SERMON ON PRESENT ECONOMIC SITUATION

On October 12th, Fr. Joseph preached a sermon applying Orthodox beliefs to the present economic times.  True believers must show the world that they have faith in our provident Father. While America has put its trust in money, we, Orthodox, must help it to instead put its trust in God. To listen to the sermon click here.

SERMON SERIES ON THE HOLY MYSTERIES (SACRAMENTS)

A sermon series on the Holy Mysteries of the Orthodox Church by Fr. Joseph is available here on our website.  This series, consisting of twelve parts, explores the seven sacraments as well as grace itself. Since we are a sacramental Church, Fr. Joseph thought it appropriate that we should explore these great gifts from God.  Whether we are senior citizen cradle Orthodox or recent converts, these sermons shed light on the history, ritual and grace giving aspect of each of the Holy Mysteries. They may be played either as streaming audio or down loaded to an iPod or an mp3 player.  To see the varying topics dealing with the sacraments as well as other past sermons click here.

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PARISH FEATURED IN DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

The latest issue of the Diocese of the South newspaper, The Dawn, carries a full page story about St. Philip the Apostle parish.  Fr. Joseph was asked to author an article featuring the use of technology by the mission for both iconography and evangelization. The article may be viewed in the online edition of The Dawn by double clicking here and scrolling to page 3.

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BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY

Our dream of a Christian bereavement ministry for all of Tampa has begun.  In July our Sue Finzer, herself a widow, attended a week long bereavement ministry facilitator course in Massachusetts.  If you or someone you know has lost a loved one and could use some help dealing with the loss please call Sue at (727) 692-9227.

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PRAY MINISTRY

Please click on our "Prayer Ministry" at left and if possible print the list of intentions and pray for them daily. This is a wonderful way to serve Jesus by serving the needs of those listed through prayer. We have recently received a number of urgent requests dealing with the health and welfare of children as well as several of our parishioners.  Please pray daily for all of these intentions.

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SEE WHAT ORTHODOXY IS DOING FOR THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

Click on "Orthodox Pro Life" at left. It also contains a link to the Zoe website which is the Orthodox pro life ministry.

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St. Philip the Apostle is a mission parish of the Orthodox Church in America and is under the authority of His Beaditude Jonah, Metropolitan of all America and Canada and Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South. Its purpose is threefold; to bring the true faith of Orthodoxy to Tampa and the Bay area in a parish where all services are in English, to seek out those Orthodox Christians in the Tampa Bay area who have fallen away from the practice of their faith, and to bring Orthodoxy to all citizens of the Bay area including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

On Nov. 6th, 2005 we celebrated our first Divine Liturgy in our new church at 9100 El Portal Drive. We are located just south of Chamberlain High School behind the North Branch Library.

If you are looking for the church that was founded by Christ, where the truth has been taught unchanged for 2,000 years, then visit us. If you want to hear the gospel proclaimed without fear or apology, then visit us. If you are looking for a loving spiritual home, then visit us. As St. Philip said to Nathaniel: "Come and see."

Sunday Divine Liturgy begins at 9:30 am.

Saturday evening vespers begins at 6 pm.

Bible Study is on Wednesday evenings following vespers which begins at 7 PM. All are welcome and can join the class at any time.

All Liturgies and services are in English. Inquirers and visitors are always welcome as our guests.

Fr. Joseph can be contacted at the numbers and address provided at the left under "contact information". We look forward to worshiping and growing in the faith with you.