About St. Philip the Apostle · Camp Springs, Maryland
St. Philip the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Camp Springs, Maryland, in the Archdiocese of Washington, canonically established on June 28, 1957. The parish ministers to roughly 500 families today, offering Mass in English, Spanish and (monthly) Tagalog, a PreK-8 elementary school, faith formation for children, Eucharistic adoration, a parish food pantry, and outreach to the surrounding Prince George's County community. Conveniently located on Henderson Way off Auth Road, it sits a short walk from the Branch Avenue Metro station and just minutes from Joint Base Andrews.
- Established
- 1957
- Patron
- St. Philip the Apostle
- Rector
- Father Ryan I. Pineda
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Philip the Apostle is a multilingual, multi-generational parish where Sunday Mass is offered in English, Spanish and (every second Sunday) Tagalog, and where families can worship side-by-side with neighbors from Joint Base Andrews and commuters arriving by Branch Avenue Metro. Children can be formed in faith at the parish's accredited PreK-8 Catholic school and in its religious education / Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, taught on Saturdays by the Missionaries of Charity in the parish's own Good Shepherd House. Adults find devotion through daily Mass, Friday Eucharistic adoration, the Sodality, prayer chains, and a Thursday food pantry that serves about 70 families each month—an outpouring of charity that Cardinal Wilton Gregory praised as a 'center of love.'
Mass times at St. Philip the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 1st Friday: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM (during adoration)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Friday: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Parish Identity and History
St. Philip the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Camp Springs, Maryland, within the Archdiocese of Washington. It was canonically established on June 28, 1957, when Father Joseph L. Teletchea was appointed to organize a new parish drawing approximately 600 families from four neighboring parishes in Prince George's County. After nearly two years of Masses held in a borrowed school and a rectory used for daily Mass and catechesis, the parish broke ground for its own church in August 1958; the building opened at the Easter Vigil on March 28, 1959. The parish and its on-site school have continuously served the surrounding community since.
- Founded 1957 (canonical establishment June 28, 1957); first church doors opened Easter Vigil, March 28, 1959
- Founding pastor: Father Joseph L. Teletchea
- Part of the Archdiocese of Washington's Lower Prince George's County Deanery
- St. Philip the Apostle Catholic School founded 1960
From the Pastor
Father Ryan I. Pineda is the current pastor. In his welcome message on the parish website he describes St. Philip as offering 'a space for people to gather and worship God in the Eucharist and adoration,' along with a Catholic school, religious education, a food pantry, prayer chains, Sodality and more. He invites newcomers and visitors—especially those new to the area near Joint Base Andrews or arriving by Branch Avenue Metro—to email him at [email protected].
- Father Ryan I. Pineda, Pastor
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Sacramental Emergency Line: 301-423-5821
Staff and Parish Leadership
In addition to the pastor, the parish relies on a small core of staff and lay volunteers listed in both the parish's own pages and the Archdiocese of Washington parish directory.
- Pastor: Father Ryan I. Pineda
- Deacon: Darryl Kelley
- Secretary: Antonia Jimenez
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Ruth Cortes Lima Reyes
- Bookkeeper: Chrissy Lash
- Facilities Manager: Bill Hardy
- Music/Folk: Conor McHale
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish's Faith Formation program helps parents, as primary catechists, walk their children through Catholic doctrine and sacramental preparation, with the Coordinator of Religious Education working with individual families to meet their needs. The program also partners with the Missionaries of Charity, who teach the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd on Saturdays at the parish's Good Shepherd House to children ages 3–10. For adults seeking entry or full communion with the Catholic Church, the parish notes that it does not currently run a standalone RCIA but is happy to help place inquirers in an RCIA program within its Family of Parishes.
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Ruth Cortes Lima Reyes
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–10), taught by Missionaries of Charity on Saturdays at Good Shepherd House
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation
- RCIA referrals arranged through the Family of Parishes
St. Philip the Apostle Catholic School
St. Philip the Apostle Catholic School opened on September 19, 1960 with about 90 students in grades 1 and 2—held initially at La Reine High School—and moved into its present building in September 1962. The school today offers Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8 in a fenced, secure campus near Joint Base Andrews and the Branch Avenue Metro, and is accredited by Cognia (NCA CASI / NWAC / SACS CASI) through June 30, 2026. Entrance is monitored and all visitors are fingerprinted, background-checked, and VIRTUS trained.
- Opened September 19, 1960 (originally grades 1–2 at La Reine HS)
- Current building occupied September 1962; expanded to grade 8 by 1964
- Kindergarten added 1986; middle-school wing added 1996
- Pre-K 4 program began 1997; Pre-K 3 program began 2007
- Accredited by Cognia / NCA CASI through June 30, 2026
- Principal (per school website): Jennifer Ramirez; Vice Principal Anthony Yniguez; Director of Curriculum Dr. Aimee Ramirez
Outreach: Food Pantry and Sodality
In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, then-pastor Father Patrick Lewis launched a parish food outreach that initially fed 17 families and delivered food to seniors who could not leave their homes. That ministry has grown into a formal food pantry housed in a former garage reconstructed by friends of the parish, which Cardinal Wilton Gregory blessed in early 2022 and praised as 'a center of love.' The pantry now distributes canned and packaged food as well as fresh produce, bread, eggs and meat to roughly 70 families each month, open Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Sodality prefect Ligia Rojas—described by the Catholic Standard as a key organizer and longtime volunteer—helps coordinate this effort alongside other parishioners.
- Food Pantry: Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM, ~70 families served monthly
- Non-perishable food collection: last weekend of each month
- Sodality of Our Lady (prefect: Ligia Rojas)
- Senior and homebound delivery ministry (in place since 2020)
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Good Shepherd House
Next door to the food pantry, a formerly run-down farmhouse on the parish property was reconstructed by friends of the parish and is now the Good Shepherd House, where the Missionaries of Charity teach the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd religion program on Saturdays. According to the Catholic Standard, the sisters set up a replica of a small altar in one of the classroom areas to teach young children about the Mass; some children have inspired their parents to come back to church.
- Ages served: 3–10
- Day: Saturdays
- Taught by the Sisters of St. Teresa of Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity
Get Involved / Stay Connected
Parishioner registration, online giving, parish bulletins via eCatholic, weekly Mass-readings links to the USCCB, and Flocknote email updates are all available through the parish website. The parish also subscribes to FORMED, a Catholic media and faith-formation platform, and runs a YouTube channel. Visitors and prospective parishioners are invited to email Father Ryan or stop by the parish office.
- Parishioner registration form via stphiliptheapostlechurch.org
- Flocknote email updates
- FORMED Catholic content partnership
- Bulletin and weekly Mass readings online
- Parish Facebook page and YouTube channel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph L. Teletchea1957–
Founding pastor; appointed by the Archdiocese of Washington on June 19, 1957 to organize the new parish.
- Father Patrick Lewis
During his pastorate, in May 2020, he launched what became the parish food pantry in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Father Ryan I. PinedaPresent pastor per parish website
Current pastor per the parish and Archdiocese of Washington directories.