Identified by ancient tradition with the Apostle Philip, who is said to have preached at Hierapolis in Phrygia and died there around 80.

Saint Philip of Hierapolis is identified in ancient tradition with Philip the Apostle, one of the Twelve, said to have traveled to Hierapolis in the Roman province of Phrygia (modern Turkey) and to have been martyred there around the year 80. Early writers such as Polycrates of Ephesus and Papias, cited by Eusebius, attest to his grave and cult at Hierapolis, where archaeologists have since excavated a large martyrium in his honor. Ancient sources sometimes blur this figure with Philip the Evangelist of Acts.

Quick Facts

• Died: c. 80 (Hierapolis, Phrygia, modern Turkey)
• Feast Day: May 3 (Western calendar, with Saint James the Less) / November 14 (Eastern calendars)
• Venerated as: One of the Twelve Apostles

Who Was Saint Philip of Hierapolis?

Saint Philip of Hierapolis is identified in ancient tradition with Philip the Apostle, one of the Twelve chosen by Jesus, who according to that same tradition traveled to Hierapolis in the Roman province of Phrygia (in modern Turkey) and was martyred there, probably around the year 80.

Historical Setting

Early Christian writers such as Polycrates of Ephesus and Papias of Hierapolis, both cited by Eusebius of Caesarea, attest to a tradition locating the Apostle Philip’s grave and cult at Hierapolis, a city whose site — including a large martyrium built there in his honor — has been excavated by modern archaeologists. Ancient sources sometimes blur the Apostle Philip with Philip the Evangelist of Acts, who also had connections to Asia Minor, so some caution in disentangling the two figures is appropriate, and is followed here.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Philip of Hierapolis

The Church remembers Philip of Hierapolis as one of the Twelve who, after Pentecost, carried the Gospel into Asia Minor and died there for that preaching — a concrete instance of the apostolic mission moving out from Jerusalem into the wider Greco-Roman world within a single generation of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Canonization and Feast Day

As an apostle of the New Testament era, Philip’s veneration predates any process of formal canonization; it rests on the Church’s continuous, universal liturgical commemoration from the earliest centuries.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

The martyrium excavated at Hierapolis is a rare case where archaeology and ancient literary tradition converge on the same site, a useful reminder that the Church’s oldest saints, however wrapped in later legend, are often anchored to real places that continued to be venerated for centuries after their deaths.

A Prayer to Saint Philip of Hierapolis

Saint Philip, apostle who carried the Gospel to Hierapolis and died there for Christ, pray for missionaries who take the faith to unfamiliar places today. Amen.

Sources

• Roman Martyrology
• Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History
• New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia