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A celebration of faith, family and community at St. Mark Church

Mike Flach | Catholic Herald

Bishop Anthony Justs (left), bishop emeritus of Jelgava, Latvia, and former pastor of St. Mark Church, concelebrated the anniversary Mass with Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde.

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The St. Mark Festival Choir included brass and hand bells for the 50th anniversary Mass Nov. 22.

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Bishops Loverde (right) and Justs concelebrated St. Mark’s 50th anniversary Mass Nov. 22 in Vienna along with Fr. Patrick Holroyd (left), Deacon John Allen and Deacon Charles Duck.

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More than a dozen visiting priests concelebrated the Nov. 22 anniversary Mass.

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A jubilee banner hangs in the vestibule of St. Mark Church in Vienna.

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Bishop Loverde accepts the offertory gifts during the anniversary Mass at St. Mark Church in Vienna.

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Bishop Loverde processes from the church following the celebration of Mass.

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The themes of faith, family and community are emphasized on the 50th anniversary cake.

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Bishop Justs, former pastor at St. Mark Church, is presented with a cake in honor of his 84th birthday.

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Bishop Loverde shares a moment with a parishioner at the reception in Msgr. Tom Cassidy activities center.

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St. Mark Parish in Vienna celebrated faith, family and
community Nov. 22 as it observed its 50th anniversary with
the help of Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde and Bishop
Anthony Justs, bishop emeritus of Jelgava, Latvia, and former
pastor at St. Mark’s.

Fathers Patrick Holroyd, pastor, and Paul Grankauskas,
parochial vicar, were among more than a dozen priests who
concelebrated the liturgy.

The parish was established in 1965 by Richmond Bishop John
Russell. Father Robert J. Walsh served as the first pastor to
400 families. Mass was celebrated at James Madison High
School in Vienna for three years before the original church
was built in 1968.

As the years went by, the number of parishioners grew and so
did the church. A 1984 addition brought a new sanctuary and
transformed the original church into the Msgr. Tom Cassidy
activity center. Msgr. Cassidy served as pastor for 16 years
and came back in retirement for another eight years before
his death in 2011.

Another addition in 2003 brought the St. Mark Christian
Formation Center, which houses St. Mark School and all the
parish religious education and formation classes. Father
Holroyd has been pastor since 2001. Today, the parish is home
to more than 10,000 people and 400 students are enrolled in
the school.

“What a joy it is to be here gathered with all of you,”
Bishop Loverde said in his homily. “It is truly a day of
celebration.”

The bishop noted that the anniversary Mass was being
celebrated at the end of the church’s liturgical year on the
Feast of Christ the King. It also was the week of
Thanksgiving and a week away from Advent, “when we anticipate
with hope and joy the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ.

“We have another reason to rejoice, to give praise and thanks
for the 50th anniversary of the founding of St. Mark Parish,”
he said.

Bishop Loverde reminded the congregation how much the parish
has grown. “We are grateful for the past and hope as we
contemplate the promise of more growth and fruitfulness in
the future,” he said.

“We open our hearts so Jesus Christ can reign in our lives.”

The bishop said the parish plays a vital role in the new
evangelization. “It reaches out to those in need and it is
here that we are nourished,” he said.

“We can see how God’s kingdom has grown over the past five
decades.”

The bishop recognized the service-oriented nature of St. Mark
Parish and the solid foundation established by Father Walsh.
He praised the leadership of subsequent pastors, including
Msgr. Cassidy, Father Stewart Culkin, Bishop Justs and Father
Holroyd.

“Today, we can do nothing but rejoice,” he said. “We also
gather to renew our commitment to serve Christ the King.”

The church is the people of God and the parish is the living
presence of Christ, Bishop Loverde said.

Here at St. Mark’s, you are the church praying, the church
teaching, the church evangelizing and the church serving, he
said.

“Here at St. Mark, each person is a living witness to Jesus
Christ. My prayer for you is that through the intercession of
St. Mark, you will continue to flourish for generations to
come.”

Following Mass, parishioners gathered in the parish hall to
continue the celebration. Bishop Justs was presented with a
cake to mark his 84th birthday. A special anniversary video
was previewed and the St. Mark School Choir performed.

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