ST. PHILIP THE APOSTLE

St. Philip's Church, Moncton is the only church in the Diocese of Fredericton named for Saint Philip the Apostle.  While Philip is listed among the apostles in the Gospels of Matthew Mark, and Luke, it is the Gospel of John that provides us with four vivid portraits of Philip, which are represented in a series of stain glass windows in St. Philip's Church. 

We are told that, "Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter." (John 1:44ff) Philip brought his brother Nathaniel or Bartholomew to Jesus, saying, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law an also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." When Nathaniel asked if anything good could come out of Nazareth, Philip simply replied by saying, "Come and see."

Philip was among the disciples present with Jesus when our Lord performed the miracle of feeding the five thousand from five loaves and two small fish. In setting the stage for the miracle, Jesus asked Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" (John 6:6ff) Hence, St. Philip's crest depicts loaves and fishes, as symbols of Jesus, the bread of life.

Later it was Philip, the man with the Greek name, who was approached by some Greeks in Jerusalem during Holy Week, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." (John 12:21) Lastly, during Jesus final discourse to his disciples before his crucifixion, it was Philip who said to Jesus, "Show us the Father and we shall we satisfied." (John 14:8ff)