About Saint Philip the Apostle [Ruthenian] · Sacramento, California
St. Philip the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church is a small Ruthenian (Carpatho-Rusyn) Byzantine Catholic parish in Sacramento, California, in full communion with the Pope of Rome. Founded in 1968, it belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (originally erected as the Eparchy of Van Nuys in 1982) and sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Diocese of Sacramento. The parish describes its mission as being 'the Light of the East to Sacramento and the surrounding areas,' offering the Byzantine-Ruthenian Divine Liturgy in English, weekly Sunday fellowship lunch, and a warm welcome to Catholics of every rite and tradition.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Saint Philip the Apostle
- Rector
- Reverend Francis (Fero) Murin — Parish Administrator (returned April 2025)
- Diocese
- Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (Holy Protection of Mary); geographically within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento
Why belong here
St. Philip's is a small but intentionally welcoming Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic community that draws Catholics of every rite and tradition — Roman, Ruthenian, Melkite, Ukrainian and others — who find a spiritual home in its celebration of the Eastern Divine Liturgy. Parishioners gather every Sunday for the 9:30 AM Divine Liturgy, share a weekly lunch together immediately afterward, and pray for one another through a rotating Pilgrim Vocation Icon hosted by parish families. With Fr. Francis Murin back as administrator in 2025 and the parish's 'Light of the East' mission in Sacramento's southern neighborhoods, it offers the rare opportunity to worship in full Byzantine tradition while remaining in communion with the Bishop of Rome.
Mass times at Saint Philip the Apostle [Ruthenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 8:30 AM Sunday (before Divine Liturgy)
- 30 minutes before any scheduled service
- By appointment
About St. Philip the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church
St. Philip the Apostle is a Byzantine Catholic parish of the Ruthenian (Carpatho-Rusyn) tradition in Sacramento, California. Though geographically inside the Roman Diocese of Sacramento, the parish belongs canonically to the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix. The community's stated mission is to be 'the Light of the East to Sacramento and the surrounding areas,' and its members include Ruthenian, Roman-rite, Melkite and other Eastern Catholics who have made St. Philip's their spiritual home.
- Byzantine Catholic Ruthenian tradition, in full communion with the Pope of Rome
- Parish of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix (Holy Protection of Mary)
- Sunday Divine Liturgy fulfills the Sunday Obligation for any Catholic
- Roman-rite Catholics properly prepared may receive Holy Communion
History and Founding
The parish was founded in 1968 as a Byzantine-rite parish for Sacramento's Ruthenian and other Eastern Catholic Slav communities. Its roots go back further: from 1922 to 1926 a Slavonian priest, Father Biskupovich, celebrated Byzantine services for Sacramento-area Slavs at St. Stephen's Church. Although that early mission ended, the dream of a dedicated Byzantine parish persisted and decades later produced St. Philip's. In 1982 Pope John Paul II erected the Eparchy of Van Nuys (renamed Phoenix in 2010) to serve Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholics of the American West — St. Philip's belongs to that eparchy.
- Parish founded in 1968
- Roots in 1922–1926 Slavonian Byzantine services at Sacramento's St. Stephen's
- Eparchy of Van Nuys (later Phoenix) erected 1982 by Pope John Paul II
- Eparchy renamed 'Phoenix' in 2010
Our Pastor — Reverend Francis (Fero) Murin
Father Francis Murin was born in 1976 in Eastern Slovakia and entered the Byzantine seminary in Presov after high school. He studied Sacred Theology there, then spent one year in Gaming, Austria studying English and five semesters earning a Licentiate in Theology at the International Theological Institute (ITI), a Pontifical academy founded at Pope John Paul II's request. He completed coursework toward a doctorate at the Pontifical College of St. Thomas in Rome. At ITI he met his future wife, Sacramento native Kimberly Leatherby; they married in June 2002 and have eight daughters. He was ordained in June 2004 in the Archeparchy of Presov, served four years in Slovakia, and was transferred to the Eparchy of Van Nuys. Bishop Gerald Dino assigned him pastor of St. Philip's on September 1, 2009. He returned to Slovakia with his family in September 2021 and came back to St. Philip's as Parish Administrator in April 2025.
- Born 1976 in Eastern Slovakia
- Ordained June 2004, Archeparchy of Presov
- Pastor of St. Philip's September 2009 – September 2021; returned April 2025
- Wife Kimberly Leatherby Murin (Sacramento native); eight daughters
Parish Clergy and Staff
Parish administration is led by Fr. Francis Murin as Parish Administrator following his 2025 return. During his 2021–2025 absence, the community was served by Dom Christopher Andrews, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma who had previously been pastor at St. Basil's Byzantine Catholic Church in Irving, Texas. Fr. Anthony Hernandez is also referenced on the parish's 'Our Pastor' page. Kimberly Murin, the pastor's wife, assists the parish administratively while also working with the Institute of Catholic Culture.
- Reverend Francis (Fero) Murin — Parish Administrator (returned April 2025)
- Dom Christopher Andrews, O.S.B. — Administrator 2021–2025 (Clear Creek Abbey, Oklahoma)
- Reverend Anthony Hernandez — referenced as interim administrator
- Kimberly Murin — parish administrator / Institute of Catholic Culture
Sunday Schedule and Weekly Services
The parish's regular Sunday rhythm is built around the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, preceded by the Office of the 3rd Hour and followed by the parish's signature weekly lunch. Weekday services (Monday morning, Wednesday evening) and Great Vespers are scheduled as announced in the bulletin and on the parish calendar. Holy Days, mid-week liturgies, and special events are posted to the calendar and bulletin pages.
- Sunday Confessions — 8:30 AM
- Sunday Office of the 3rd Hour — 9:10 AM
- Sunday Divine Liturgy — 9:30 AM
- Sunday parish lunch — immediately after Liturgy
- Monday Divine Liturgy — 6:30 AM
- Tuesday Great Vespers — 6:00 PM (scheduled weeks)
- Wednesday Divine Liturgy — 6:00 PM
Parish Ministries and Community Life
St. Philip's runs a tight-knit community life organized around hospitality, prayer for vocations, and small fundraisers that keep the parish financially sustainable. Hospitality is essential — the Sunday lunch after Liturgy is a parish institution and parishioners sign up via a sheet in the parish hall to host. A Pilgrim Vocation Icon rotates weekly among families who pray for vocations to the Byzantine priesthood and religious life. The parish also runs a Fireworks Sale Fundraiser staffed by adult parishioners, a gift shop and candle ministry, and supports online giving via Zelle.
- Sunday hospitality and parish lunch (sign-up sheet in the parish hall)
- Pilgrim Vocation Icon rotating among parish families
- Fireworks Sale Fundraiser (adult volunteers)
- Gift shop and candles
- Online giving via Zelle to [email protected]
- Apostles' Fast observed Wednesdays and Fridays
Bulletin, Calendar, and Homilies
The parish maintains an active WordPress website (stphilipofsacramento.wordpress.com) with regularly posted bulletins, a liturgical calendar, and homilies. Bulletins carry the weekly liturgical schedule, announcements, prayer intentions for the sick and infirm, fasting reminders during the Apostles' Fast, and news like ordinations and visitations — including the 2024 ordination of Fr. Dennis Marzan, S.J., celebrated at St. Philip's.
- Bulletins page (weekly)
- Liturgical calendar page
- Homilies page
- Events & News page
- Pictures gallery
Byzantine Ruthenian Tradition
The Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church traces its roots to the 1646 Union of Uzhhorod, when sixty-three Orthodox priests of the Transcarpathian region entered into communion with Rome while preserving the Byzantine Divine Liturgy, the Eastern liturgical calendar, the iconostasis, Byzantine vestments, Eastern monastic and canonical traditions, and the right to ordain married men to the priesthood. In the United States the Ruthenian church is organized as the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, with four eparchies — Pittsburgh, Parma, Passaic, and Phoenix. St. Philip's belongs to the Eparchy of Phoenix, which covers western states including California, Arizona, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest.
- Ruthenian tradition in full communion with Rome since the 1646 Union of Uzhhorod
- Byzantine Divine Liturgy, iconostasis, Eastern calendar preserved
- Member of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh
- Eparchy of Phoenix serves the American West
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Francis (Fero) MurinSeptember 2009 – September 2021; returned April 2025
Byzantine priest ordained June 2004 in the Archeparchy of Presov, Slovakia; born 1976 in Eastern Slovakia; husband of Kimberly Leatherby Murin; assigned by Bishop Gerald Dino. Returned as Parish Administrator in 2025.
- Dom Christopher Andrews, O.S.B.September 2021 – March 2025
Benedictine monk from Clear Creek Abbey, Oklahoma; previously pastor of St. Basil's Byzantine Catholic Church in Irving, Texas.