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A welcoming community rooted in faith: St. Philip the Apostle Church
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Posted by lward Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:08:57 PST
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0 responses 0 comments A welcoming community rooted in faith: St. Philip the Apostle Church
A look at the past, what lies ahead in future for parish
By Lauren Ward, Southwest Voice Editor

It'd been a rough week for St. Philip the Apostle Church when I sat down with Monsignor Ron Swett.

He'd just finished talking with the family of Dorothy Anne Walter about preparations for her funeral the next day. Walter, 69, was killed in a head-on collision March 5 at Stockdale Highway and Buena Vista Road after leaving her grandson's home. Witnesses said the other driver was racing and veered into Walter's lane.

Swett said Walter is the third parishioner killed recently in a traffic accident in the area.  

Such deaths are a blow to a church that has from its inception relied on energetic, innovative parishioners and dedicated, determined families to work hard and long to improve the parish.

"Because there are fewer and fewer priests available to Catholic churches, involved and active lay people –– men and women who head ministries, clubs and committees –– are crucial," said Swett.

This sentiment is reflected in the parish mission statement: "Called by the word of God, Jesus Christ, impelled by the Holy Spirit, enlivened by the Eucharist, rooted in our Catholic faith and tradition, we seek to be a welcoming community that nurtures spiritual growth, builds our lives on gospel values and reaches out to the poor and hurting."

St. Philip's was established in 1968 when St. Francis Parish, established in 1874,  was divided to create a new parish for the rapidly growing Southwest area of Bakersfield, said Swett. St Philip's acquired 11.2 acres, which included four classrooms, that St. Francis had purchased from the Kern County Land Company.

According to Swett, the new parish was named in memory of St. Philip the Apostle, who came from Bethsaida in Galilee and was one of 12 apostles chosen by Jesus.
The name also held historical significance in that Padre Francisco Garces gave the name of Rio De San Felipe to the Kern River (which runs north of the parish property) on first seeing the waters at the mouth of the Kern Canyon.

According to the parish Web site, Garces, the first white man to come to the river in 1776, baptized an Indian boy, a sacrament that marked the beginning of Catholicism in Kern County.

The growth of agriculture in the area fueled the growth of Catholicism in the Valley, as ranchers brought their religion with them. Bishop Amat said the first mass in Bakersfield in October of 1871 in the presence of six Catholic families, a few cattlemen and sheep men in the rear of Pablo Galtes' general store on 19th Street.

Within two weeks of its establishment, Reverend (later Monsignor) James Logan (pastor from 1968 to 1981) gathered 600 families in the cafeteria of West High School to say the first mass. Collections were taken in bread baskets and the baptismal font was a stainless steel salad bowl.

In 1973, a  new facility was designed by parish member Robert F. Stuhr. It was to be a modern church building with the focal point on the primary symbols of the church: the altar and the ambo (pulpit). Ground was broken on the church on April 21, 1974.
Under the guidance of  Logan, St. Philip the Apostle became the first Bakersfield parish to institute a Saturday evening mass to fulfill the Sunday obligation, and also the first church to offer a folk mass. 

In the early 1980s, St. Philip's, headed by Swett, was the fastest growing Roman Catholic parish in Bakersfield. 

Swett, ordained in 67, grew up in Taft, home of many priests who served in the Diocese of Fresno and, coincidentally, where the Rio De San Felipe drained most of its water in the earliest days of recorded history

A fundraising campaign headed by the late Pat Haeneltt and Lloyd Plank culminated in the opening of a new multipurpose social hall, built by Colombo Construction from plans drawn up by architect Len Schroeder.

The 10,000-square-foot complex houses parish offices, a youth drop-in center, a fully equipped kitchen and a multipurpose room to accommodate 650 people. Additional parking and outdoor basketball courts are located on the east side.

A champagne reception to celebrate the dedication of Logan Hall, named in honor of Logan, then in Fresno, was held on May 16, 1984.

St. Philip's celebrated its silver anniversary in 1993 with a reunion of former and current priests and parishioners and a Sunday mass with Bishop John Steinbock of the Diocese of Fresno.

"It's a very good community. We are very supportive of individuals who have problems, and we reach out to all sorts of people," said Southwest resident and St. Philip's parishioner Bill Devereux, who's a member of St. Vincent de Paul. Devereux  said the church is blessed with strong clerical leadership as well as two deacons, Deacon John Monsma and Deacon Mike Richard, who assist with the pastoral needs of the church.

Today, St. Philip's boasts 4,000 families, large masses and a thriving array of ministries and groups, such as the Young Musicians Orchestra, Women's Fellowship, the Youth Leadership Team, Campus Ministry and Catholic Singles.

Swett cites the late Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit to California as pivotal in younger people's taking over the more active roles in the church the older generation once held.

"He had a dynamic personality. He put choices out there," said Swett.

Looking ahead, Swett said the church is raising funds to add 150 seats and renovate and modernize the church. Swett would also like to see a stoplight on Stockdale HIghway at the entrance to the church.

Time has brought many changes to St. Philip's, but the church's emphasis on invested parishioners and a sense of family has remained intact.

"The hallmark of St. Philip's is a very friendly and welcoming community," said Swett.

Do you have a special story involving St. Philip's? Is it a part of your personal history? Post your comments on the this story online at www.swvoice.com

St. Philip the Apostle Church
7100 Stockdale Highway
Phone: 834-7483
www.stphilipchurch.org
Masses
Saturday 5 p.m. (Vigil)
Sunday (7 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.)
Monday to Friday
7 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.
Saturday
8 a.m.
Holy Days
As scheduled

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