Our School is Named after St. Philip
St. Philip was of Bethsaida, in Galilee, and called by our Saviour to follow him the day after St. Peter and St. Andrew. He was at that time a married man, and had several daughters; but his being engaged in the married state hindered him not from meditating continually on the law and the prophets, which disposed him for the important discovery of the Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ, in obedience to whose command he forsook all to follow him, and became thenceforth the inseparable companion of his ministry and labours.
The marriage at Cana of Galilee happening, to which Jesus and his disciples were invited, St. Philip was present at it with the rest. The year following, when our Lord formed the college of apostles, Philip was appointed one of that number, and. from the several passages of the gospel, he appears to have been particularly dear to his divine Master.
Thus, when Jesus was about to feed five thousand persons, who had followed him into the wilderness, for the greater evidence of the miracle, and for the trial of this apostle's faith, Jesus proposed to him the difficulty of feeding the multitudes in that desolate place. And a little before our Saviour's passion, certain Gentiles, desirous to see Christ, made their first address to Philip, and by him and St. Andrew obtained that favour.
It was necessary that the disciples should disperse themselves into all parts of the world. St. Philip accordingly preached the gospel in the two Phrygias. St. Polycarp, who was only converted in the year A.D. 80, enjoyed his conversation for some time, consequently St. Philip must have lived to a very advanced age.
-- Paraphrased from Vol. 5 of "The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler
History of Our School
St. Philip Catholic School was built in 1956. Three phases of construction were undertaken between 1956 and 1999. In April, 1999 the gymnasium was expanded, renovations were made to 5 classrooms, and the addition of a new wing that included a new storage area, staffroom, resource room, 5 additional classrooms, new offices and new maintenance rooms. This construction concluded in December 1999 with the front entry of the school switching from Victoria Street to 420 Queen Street.
With funding from the Ministry of Children’s Services, during the summer of 2006, 4 classrooms in the north wing of the school were renovated to accommodate the Best Start Day Care initiative. In August, 2006, construction of 3 new classrooms, a set of washrooms and a new storage area began and was completed in December 2006 to accommodate the school children under this same initiative.
St. Philip Catholic School is now able to accommodate children from infancy to the end of Grade 8:
- Under the Ministry of Education and the St. Clair CDS Board – 8 classrooms from JK to Grade 8
- Under the Ministry of Children’s Services, the Municipality of Sarnia/Lambton and managed by Generations Day Care Inc. – over 60 children in all levels of Day Care (infant, toddler, ELF, JK/SK WRAP, Before and After school care) on a daily basis.