About St. Philip Neri [Flint Creek Catholic Community] · Philipsburg, Montana
St. Philip Parish in Philipsburg, Montana is a small Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Helena that worships in a historic 1894 wood-frame church on West Kearney Street. Since the early 21st century it has been twinned with nearby St. Michael Parish in Drummond (and the Gold Creek mission) as the Flint Creek Catholic Community, sharing a single canonical pastor, Father Kirby Longo, while being run day-to-day by Pastoral Administrator Vicki Burgmeier and Permanent Deacon Chris Burgmeier. The parish offers one weekly Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m., Holy Day Masses as announced, and Reconciliation by appointment, and ministers to the Catholic faithful of the former mining town of Philipsburg in Granite County.
- Established
- 1894
- Patron
- St. Philip (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Father Kirby Longo (Canonical Pastor; also pastor of Christ the King, Missoula, and St. John the Baptist, Frenchtown)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena (Bishop Austin Vetter)
Why belong here
St. Philip's is a small, historic parish in the heart of Granite County, where the same dedicated lay and diaconal team (Pastoral Administrator Vicki Burgmeier and Deacon Chris Burgmeier) provides faith formation, youth ministry, and sacramental care across the Flint Creek valley. Visitors are welcomed into a tight-knit community that gathers each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. for Mass in a beautifully preserved 1894 church, with Holy Day Masses and Reconciliation offered by appointment. For Catholics living in Philipsburg, Drummond, Gold Creek and the surrounding Flint Creek country, it is the local home of the Diocese of Helena's sacramental life and pastoral care.
Mass times at St. Philip Neri [Flint Creek Catholic Community]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Philip Parish in Philipsburg is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, in the Missoula Deanery, and is grouped with St. Michael Parish in Drummond and St. Mary Mission in Gold Creek as the Flint Creek Catholic Community. The community's canonical pastor since 2024 is Father Kirby Longo, who also pastors Christ the King in Missoula and St. John the Baptist in Frenchtown. Pastoral care for the three sites is coordinated from Drummond under Pastoral Administrator Vicki Burgmeier and Permanent Deacon Chris Burgmeier. The current diocesan bishop is Austin Vetter.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
- Bishop: Austin Vetter
- Pastoral grouping: Flint Creek Catholic Community (with St. Michael, Drummond, and St. Mary Mission, Gold Creek)
- Deanery: Missoula
Parish Staff & Leadership
Day-to-day parish life in Philipsburg is shared between clergy and laity. The canonical pastor is Father Kirby Longo. Permanent Deacon Chris Burgmeier assists at Mass and ministries across the Flint Creek Community, and his wife Vicki Burgmeier serves simultaneously as Pastoral Administrator, Religious Education Director, and Secretary/Bookkeeper. Youth Ministry is coordinated jointly by Deacon Chris Burgmeier and Susan and Gary Sundstrom.
- Father Kirby Longo — Canonical Pastor
- Deacon Chris Burgmeier — Permanent Deacon; Youth Ministry Coordinator
- Vicki Burgmeier — Pastoral Administrator, Religious Education Director, Secretary/Bookkeeper
- Susan & Gary Sundstrom — Youth Ministry Coordinators
History of the Parish
Catholics in Philipsburg organized during the silver-mining boom of the 1880s and 1890s. The present St. Philip's Catholic Church was completed in 1894 and is described in the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Philipsburg Historic District as a large gable-roofed rectangular wood-frame structure with a lanceted transom, radially arched window, squat square tower, and octagonal lantern topped by a large cross. It is one of four pioneer churches that survive in the historic district. In the modern era, the parish has been consolidated with nearby St. Michael's in Drummond and St. Mary Mission in Gold Creek into the Flint Creek Catholic Community.
- 1894 — St. Phillip's Catholic Church completed in Philipsburg
- Late 19th c. — One of four churches in what is now the Philipsburg Historic District (NPS)
- 20th–21st c. — Served as a small country parish of the Diocese of Helena
- Recent — Grouped with St. Michael (Drummond) and St. Mary Mission (Gold Creek) as Flint Creek Catholic Community
Architecture & Historic Setting
The 1894 church building is a wood-frame, gable-roofed rectangular structure in a vernacular late-Victorian ecclesiastical idiom, distinguished by a lanceted transom over the double-door gable-end entrance, a radially arched window above, a squat square tower, and an octagonal lantern with a conical roof and large cross. It contributes to the Philipsburg Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as one of the town's four pre-1900 churches still standing.
- Style: Vernacular late-19th-century ecclesiastical / Victorian-influenced
- Materials: Wood frame, gable roof
- Features: Double-door gable-end entrance, lanceted transom, radially arched window, square tower, octagonal lantern with conical roof and cross
- Setting: Philipsburg Historic District (National Register)
Mass & Liturgical Schedule
St. Philip's offers one weekly Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m., with Holy Day Masses as announced. Reconciliation is available by appointment through the parish office. As one of three worship sites in the Flint Creek Catholic Community, St. Philip's shares ministry with St. Michael Parish in Drummond, where the Sunday Mass is at 9:00 a.m., allowing parishioners across the Flint Creek valley to attend Mass at either site each weekend.
- Sunday Mass: 11:00 a.m.
- Holy Day Mass: As announced
- Confessions: By appointment (call 406-241-3604)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious Education for the Flint Creek Catholic Community, including St. Philip's, is directed by Vicki Burgmeier. Youth Ministry is coordinated by Deacon Chris Burgmeier together with Susan and Gary Sundstrom, providing catechesis and faith formation for the children and teenagers of the parishes. Because the three communities share staff, families in Philipsburg, Drummond, and Gold Creek are served by a unified program.
- Religious Education Director: Vicki Burgmeier
- Youth Ministry Coordinators: Deacon Chris Burgmeier; Susan & Gary Sundstrom
Visiting & Contact
St. Philip's physical address is 308 W. Kearney, Philipsburg, MT 59858. Mail is routed through the community office at P.O. Box 329, Drummond, MT 59832. The parish can be reached by phone at (406) 241-3604, and the community office email is [email protected].
- Address: 308 W. Kearney, Philipsburg, MT 59858
- Mailing: P.O. Box 329, Drummond, MT 59832
- Phone: (406) 241-3604
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Kirby LongoReappointed July 1, 2024 for a further term
Serves as Canonical Pastor of the Flint Creek Catholic Community while remaining pastor of Christ the King Parish, Missoula, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Frenchtown; Dean of the Missoula Deanery.