St. Mark | Called to Renew

Letter from the Pastor

From the Pastor

Dear Friends in Christ,

In 1923, when a handful of families sacrificed to establish Saint Mark Parish, they also blessed us with a legacy to build upon and celebrate. We are excited to celebrate our centennial, coming year 2023. The feast day of Saint Mark, on April 25, will be the beginning of a jubilee year, in which we also celebrate 75 years of Saint Mark School. The events commemorating the Jubilee Year will be planned and executed by a forthcoming Jubilee Year Committee to be constituted in the coming months.

Through God’s grace, we have grown from a small faith community into a welcoming parish of over a thousand families. The Saint Mark Catholic Community is a vibrant, active, and welcoming place for people of all ages to grow in Faith, Service and Mission.

Alongside every parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles we are now launching the Called to Renew campaign. This campaign will allow parishes to upgrade their facilities, many of which were built in the 1950’s and have not seen much structural maintenance. With the Parish Council and Finance Council, we have identified the most pressing material needs to ensure that future generations of parishioners may continue to gather, worship, and create lasting friendships in the next century.

The goal set for our campaign is $755,000 of which 50 percent will remain at our disposal to address the needs detailed on the following page. We will also retain 100 percent of the funds we collect over our goal. If our campaign is successful, we will receive a minimum of $377,500 to address our own needs.

I am asking you, and every other member of our St. Mark Catholic Community, to make a gift from the heart. And ask yourself: what kind of parish and community do I want to pass on to the next generation? As your pastor and fellow parishioner, I will also make a sacrificial pledge. Before you determine your pledge, please prayerfully consider the generosity God has shown you, and the importance of the mission that has been entrusted to us at Saint Mark.

Thank you in advance for your faithful support.

Peace in Christ,

Rev. Albert van der Woerd

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Campaign Details

Our Parish Goal

$755,000

Pledged over 5 years for the Called to Renew Campaign.

Our Parish Receives

$377,500

To renew our parish and strengthen ministries.

Parish Needs

Lighting Upgrades in the Church

Many people have commented on the poor lighting in our church and have difficulty reading their missal. During Covid, we brought the electrical system of the church up to code and now it is time to replace the lighting fixtures with more powerful units that can be used for both ambient and functional lighting.

Sanctuary Renovation

In 2014, the carpet in the church assembly was replaced with a beautiful tile floor. That represented a major upgrade of our church interior. The aging green carpet in the sanctuary area around the altar, however, remains an eye sore. We propose to finish the job and have the same tile installed in the whole church.

Replacement of All School Windows

The school is an important part of our parish mission. Perhaps you have children who have attended, or currently, attend our school. Maybe you are an alumnus of St. Mark School. Our school building, dating from 1949, still has its original windows, which present challenges from a safety and energy sufficiency perspective. We want to support our school by contributing to the replacement of all the windows.

Pastoral Center Renovations

The rectory used to house three to four priests and a housekeeper. More and more, however, this building is being transformed into a Pastoral Center, fulfilling the needs for office space and meeting facilities for ministry work. Over the past few years, substantial improvements have been made to support the current usage, and now it is time to finish the effort by replacing decades-old carpets and modernizing the rooms formerly used as living quarters for clergy.

A Bold Plan of Renewal

We — the Catholic faithful — are the agents of renewal for Church and society. I am grateful for this opportunity to walk alongside clergy and parishioners in strengthening our parishes and ministries, the heart of our Archdiocese.

Archbishop José H. Gomez

Our Campaign Also Supports

$375M

Strengthening Our Parishes

Our parishes are more than buildings; they are the spiritual homes for millions in our Archdiocese. Embracing our mission to be a community of praise, worship, and witness, Called to Renew recognizes the vital role of parishes in the day-to- day life of a vibrant Church and is dedicated to meeting their needs.

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$30M

Serving the Vulnerable

As Christians, we are called to meet the spiritual and temporal needs of others. Called to Renew provides us with an extraordinary opportunity to expand and enhance our ministries to the most vulnerable among us, so we may walk with the sick and dying as well as with the victims and perpetrators of violent crimes and their families.

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$30M

Supporting Priestly Vocations

The future of our Church is strengthened when men hear and answer the Lord’s call to serve as his shepherds. The Archdiocese is committed to vocations and the formation of our seminarians and clergy, so they may minister with joyful hearts in the years ahead.

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$65M

Investing in the Faith of Future Generations

Our mission to live in greater communion with God and the Church is carried out through our parish and diocesan schools, religious education and faith formation programs, and our presence on college campuses throughout Southern California.

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