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Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Hopefully, many of you heard my mass announcements last weekend explaining that as of July 1st, Bishop Parkes has reassigned me as pastor of St. Francis Cabrini in Spring Hill. Likewise, he has reassigned their pastor, the Very Rev. Richard Jankowski as your new pastor here at St. Mark. I want to thank all of you for the many ways you allowed me to be your pastor. As the years go by, I will look back fondly on our time together; I trust the same will be true for you. Over the past 15 years, I’ve watched children grow up as our parish also grew to almost double the size it was when I began. I’ve baptized, performed marriages, visited hospitals and shut-ins and performed too many funerals. And as you are all very aware…have led more Capital Campaigns than I cared for! Together, we realized 3 five-year plans, a few dreams, paid off 1 church and almost paid off our 2nd, lived through a few trials and together we raised St. Mark from a child through her teens and into a beautiful adult! While I am leaving you, there is one who remains constant: Jesus Christ. Jesus has been here from the beginning and will be with you for the rest of time. If through the power of the Holy Spirit you allow Jesus to guide you, St. Mark will always flourish! I pray and therefore know St. Mark will have a wonderful future. I have faith that the new pastoral leadership of Father Richard will see St. Mark flourish in her adult years in ways we have only dreamed of. I have been so blessed to have been along for the ride. Please continue to passionately live your mission to L.O.V.E. Peace!

L.O.V.E. from Father David  Father David DeJulio, Pastor At the Easter Vigil, we celebrated the light of Christ which we carried, filled with hope, into a world of uncertainty and darkness.  Then, s uddenly, like a blast of a trumpet…Easter interrupted the darkness! “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24.5). This was the question of the three women who arrived at the empty tomb at sunrise on the first day of the week. They could never have imagined from life’s natural cycles what they discovered because everyone knows old age is not followed by youth so obviously Jesus’ death could not naturally be followed by life! But there was nothing natural about the Resurrection. It is an event in which time and nature are flipped upside down and turned inside out. Only as an act of God is the Resurrection possible; and like all acts of God, it is a trumpet blast to all of us…a wake up call that God, who raises the dead, is more real and more powerful than any upset or crisis that we can ever encounter.  For all of us standing at the empty tomb – no matter our circumstances – Easter gives us unfathomable hope. Easter is meant to leave us with a changed perspective of the present and the future. It offers a reality that is full of joy. Easter proclaims that death is not the end of the story. The prayers of the Easter Vigil convey assurance that “If we keep the memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, listening to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him in God.” (Roman Missal: The Blessing of the Fire and Preparation of the Candle) Let's keep the Easter Fire of God’s LOVE burning in your hearts this Easter season and have confidence in placing yourselves in Christ’s care as we hope in the divine power that “dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.” (Roman Missal, Longer Form of the Easter Proclamation) May we all share this wonderful news with the world around us...that we are people who believe this…that we are Easter people!  Please know how blessed we are with everyone’s presence during our Lenten and Easter celebrations and I am ever prayerful that we will see you all again very soon.  St. Mark is here for you…All Are Welcome!  Peace! 

Greetings to all of you as we embark on the Holy Season of Christmas! I know that there are many loose ends to tie up before the celebrations begin so I will make this short and sweet. Please know how humbled I have been to be part of such a great parish family these past years and how grateful I am to you for making St. Mark the Evangelist one of the premier parishes in our Diocese. I am also grateful to our staff who have worked so hard for little pay in bringing Christ's love to those they serve. Their dedication and humility have served us well and I look forward to a new year filled with God's blessings. I also pray for those who have lost loved ones this past year, that they will know the hope and joy that comes with believing in the God who promises we will see them again. I especially pray for those who have lost hope, that they may find God's love through you! How wonderful it can be not only to celebrate joy on this special day, but to live it everyday of our lives. That can only happen when we put Christ as the center of our lives, when we can overcome sorrow with true joy. Merry Christmas to all of you and may you be blessed during this special time and always! Peace, Fr. David

Greetings to all of you as we embark on the Holy Season of Christmas! I know that there are many loose ends to tie up before the celebrations begin so I will make this short and sweet. Please know how humbled I have been to be part of such a great parish family these past years and how grateful I am to you for making St. Mark the Evangelist one of the premier parishes in our Diocese. I am also grateful to our staff who have worked so hard for little pay in bringing Christ's love to those they serve. Their dedication and humility have served us well and I look forward to a new year filled with God's blessings. I also pray for those who have lost loved ones this past year, that they will know the hope and joy that comes with believing in the God who promises we will see them again. I especially pray for those who have lost hope, that they may find God's love through you! How wonderful it can be not only to celebrate joy on this special day, but to live it everyday of our lives. That can only happen when we put Christ as the center of our lives, when we can overcome sorrow with true joy. Merry Christmas to all of you and may you be blessed during this special time and always! Peace, Fr. David