St. Philip's Episcopal Church

“A country church committed to a spiritual journey”

“Here, here, within these walls, that which once was remains.”  So wrote a columnist for The Daily Times after he visited St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in 2010.  Some of you may know what he is talking about and would like to visit us sometime for that very reason.  Others may have no clue and, thus, may wish to come see for yourself.

        Some years ago St. Philip’s was widely known for its annual Muskrat and Turkey Dinner during Lent, a tradition immortalized in one of our stained glass windows.  We claim to be the only church in the world with a muskrat in a stained glass window, at the feet of Thomas Bray an English clergyman who helped to establish the Episcopal Church in Maryland.  There is another window with a chicken, blue crabs, orioles, butterflies, and various vegetables, but that is another story.

    St. Philip’s supports and encourages our members on their respective spiritual journeys.  Our motto is “a country church on a spiritual journey.”  As an Episcopal Church we use the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer and the 1982 Hymnal in our worship on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am.  Our minister never has to ask for money because we are generous givers.  There are some Sundays when our worship service is shorter than the Coffee Hour afterwards.  We are part of the Diocese of Easton which covers all of the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

    We do a good job of welcoming visitors.  Some of our most active parishioners today were not members of our congregation ten years ago.

    We are very pleased with our organ, a digital Johannus instrument from Holland with three manuals, seven audio channels, 77 voices, and a 32′ stop on the pedal-all of which help to make its music wonderful.  Our music director plays it with love.

    In days gone by the Village of Quantico was a stop on the stage coach route between the ferries at Vienna (now gone) and Whitehaven (still running when the weather is good and there is no ice in the river).  It was a place where you stopped for rest and refreshment on the journey.  For those who see themselves as being on a spiritual journey, St. Philip’s still serves that need.  The name “Quantico” comes from an Indian word which means “place of dancing.”

“And that which once was, endures.”