St. Philipp (Phillip, Philip) is located about 14 miles north of Gladstone, ND on the rolling prairies.  It was once a bustling little parish with lots of baptisms.  The hopes of a town, Hirschville, did not materialize for long, and by 1920, the few stores and post office were closed. Nevertheless, the parish, which was started in 1907, grew and flourished until the 1940s. St. Philip had a resident pastor from 1928 until 1951. After this, it was served from Assumption Abbey, Richardton, ND and later as a mission from St. Thomas, Gladstone, ND.

In its day, St. Philip was an active, vibrant parish. The faith of the mostly German-Hungarians and some German-Russians that settled the area is evident in the vocations that came from this parish -- one Priest, two Brothers and seven Sisters.

The rural areas of North Dakota have been depopulating for decades, and in 1995, St. Philip was closed. The church was sold and torn down. The cemetery is being lovingly maintained. Perhaps a sign of the poverty and tough conditions of those early immigrants is in the number of unmarked graves in the cemetery, especially of children.  The cemetery, (with the bell from the church) lies on a gentle slope and has a quiet, peaceful beauty about it.

The parish records of baptisms, marriages, and deaths are kept at St. Mary, Richardton, ND.

A book containing all the baptisms, marriages and deaths is available at St.Mary, Richardton for $20.00 or through the mail for $23.00.  (Make checks payable to: St. Mary Parish.)  It also contains the same information for Sts. Mary (Richardton), Stephen (Stark County) and Thomas (Gladstone).