"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us." - 1 John 1:3
Saint Mark Parish History
The Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church of Boca Raton was organized in 1980. In October of that same year, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated at a neighboring church. A little over a year later the congregation purchased its first property, and then made a deposit on the current Yamato Road property in May 1983. The Church Fellowship Hall was the first building completed, and the Door Opening Ceremony (the "Thyranoixia") was presided by Bishop John of Atlanta in November 1985.
For over a decade, the Fellowship Hall was our spiritual home, and used for administration, ministry functions, and liturgical services until the sanctuary was completed. The first service in the new sanctuary was held on Palm Sunday, April 20, 1997. Two years later Archbishop Iakovos, of blessed memory, presided over the official dedication ceremony of the sanctuary and the bell tower that was renamed in his honor.
With the Sanctuary finally completed and dedicated, the turn of the millennium brought with it the launching of our Interior Beautification and Capital Campaigns. Over the course of the following 13 years, Saint Mark was able to complete the iconography and furnishing of the interior of the sanctuary. This process culminated with the long-awaited Consecration of the Sanctuary by His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta on February 22, 2014.
Our Patron Saint
The Saints of the Church intercede for the salvation of all believers. In other words they pray to the Almighty God, on our behalf, to show mercy on us and to save us. The practice of adopting patron saints goes back to the building of the first public churches in the Roman Empire. Most of these churches were built over the graves of Holy Christian Martyrs. The churches were then given the name of the Holy Martyr, who then was celebrated and invoked locally as an intercessor for those who worshiped there. As time passed, and as Christianity became legalized (313 AD), new churches were able to be built even in areas where martyrs hadn't died for the faith. Thus these churches were able to choose their own Patron Saint, and from among all of the saints (not just the martyrs).
When we began our Church in 1981 we were given the opportunity to pray on who we would choose as our Patron Saint. Mr. John Douglas, who was instrumental in the foundation of our Church, realized that there was no Greek Orthodox Church on the Western Hemisphere that was named in honor of Saint Mark the Evangelist. Considering there were many churches bearing the names of the other Evangelists (Matthew, Luke, and John the Theologian), it didn't seem right to Mr. Douglas, and the other founding members, that Saint Mark—who was the first of the four to write his Gospel account—was overlooked on this half of the globe. Thankfully, on October 23, 1983 that was no longer the case, as the Orthodox Church of Boca Raton received its charter and was officially given the Patron Saint, the Evangelist and Apostle Mark! Click Here to Read About our Patron Saint, Saint Mark...
Saint Mark Vision Statement
Join us, the committed believers of Saint Mark, in living & sharing the love of the Holy Trinity & becoming the Kingdom of God on earth. We accomplish our mission through worship, fellowship, service to others, partaking of the Sacraments & witnessing the Truth revealed through the person of Jesus Christ, handed down unchanged from the Apostolic Fathers. We glorify God by loving one another as Christ loves us.
"The Message" - Our Parish Newsletter
As part of our services to our faithful stewards, Saint Mark offers a bimonthly newsletter, "The Message" to help inform our families of upcoming events, and highlight newsworthy moments taking place all year round. For your convenience we have catalogued over 30 issues from recent years on this website. If you want an idea of what the Saint Mark Family is, there's no better place to look online than the pages of these publications. Click Here to View Past Issues of "The Message"
Discover Orthodox Christianity
The Orthodox Christian Church is the original form of Christianity that has maintained an unbroken ministry dating back to the original Apostles of the 1st Century. Periodically we offer a free 5-part introductory course called "Discover Orthodoxy" to help new believers get acquainted with the authentic Church of Christ.