St. Philip the Deacon is one of the seven deacons first appointed by the Apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-7). After the preaching and subsequent stoning of St. Stephen the Deacon (Acts 7), Saul appears to have initiated an aggressive persecution of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-3). All but the Apostles were “scattered” throughout the region. Philip went North to the city of Samaria (Acts 8:4-25) where he preached and healed, amazing the residents. Apparently, the miracles were so amazing that a popular magician, Simon, converted and began following Philip. The Apostles, upon hearing of the widespread acceptance of the gospel in Samaria, sent Peter and John who baptized many in the Holy Spirit.
While Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching to Samaritan villages along the way, God called Philip to head South to Gaza (Acts 8:26-40), along a wilderness road. On the road, he met an Ethiopian Eunuch, likely a Jew returning home from pilgrimage in Jerusalem. This man was also a respected counselor to Candace, the Ethiopian Queen. He was apparently reading the Prophet Isaiah out loud on his way home. God called Philip to join the Ethiopian, a lively discussion of scripture and Jesus ensued, and the Ethiopian asked to be immediately baptized in nearby water. As they left the water, the Spirit snatched Philip away to the northern city of Azotus, and he preached his way north to Caesarea, where he appears to have remained. The last scriptural reference to Philip is when he and his four unmarried daughters, each with the gift of prophecy, hosted Paul in his home as Paul and his companions traveled through Caesarea (Acts 21:7-10). Due to his consistent work of preaching as he journeyed throughout the region, Philip the Deacon is also known as Philip the Evangelist, (which is how he is identified in Acts 21:8).
St. Philip the Deacon and St. Philip the Apostle are different Philips, often confused. Little is known of Philip’s daughters, though they are referred to as prophets not only in Acts, but by Eusebius (EH 5.17.3) who places them alongside Agabus (Acts 11:27-28; 21:10], Judas, and Silas (Acts 15:22, 27, 32). Ancient Christian tradition holds that two of his daughters remained with Philip through his old age. Their names may have been Irais and Charliline (or Mariamne), though these are names given by tradition far from their historical existence. The other two, Hermione and Eutychis (or Eutychiane or Eukhidia) travelled to and evangelized in Ephesus. According to the vita of Hermione, she suffered at the hands of the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, making her a martyr (not all martyrs die as a result of their suffering witness) of the church. She is commemorated by Orthodox and Catholics on September 4th, and is known as either Hermione of Ephesus or Hermione the Martyr. There is speculation that the recently uncovered 1600-year-old Byzantine Basilica in Ashdod Yam may have been built to bury the body of one of Philip’s Daughters.
St. Philip is remembered on October 11.