About St. Mark, Holy Family Parish · Marion, Kansas
St. Mark is the Marion worship site of Holy Family Catholic Parish, a multi-site Catholic parish serving Marion County, Kansas, in the Diocese of Wichita. The parish was canonically erected in 1950, though Catholic missionary presence in the area dates back to 1860, when Jesuits began a station for German settlers meeting in private homes. The current church building at 415 N. Cedar Street was finished in time for Christmas Mass 1951 and was thoroughly renovated and rededicated on the Feast of the Holy Family, December 27, 2008. Holy Family Parish serves roughly 284 families (about 573 individual Catholics) across four church sites — St. Mark (Marion), St. John Nepomucene (Pilsen), Holy Redeemer (Tampa), and St. Patrick (Florence) — with the pastor and lay staff coordinating worship, faith formation, and pastoral outreach across all four locations.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Mark
- Rector
- Reverend Isaac J. Coulter
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Mark, Marion is one of four worship sites in Holy Family Catholic Parish, a tight-knit rural parish of about 284 families in the Diocese of Wichita. The parish combines traditional Catholic devotion — daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration across multiple sites, the Rosary before every Mass, and a strong Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun devotion — with hands-on lay ministry: Liturgy Guilds (Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Sacristans, Servers, Musicians, Cantors, Choirs, Ushers, Gift Bearers), faith formation for children and adults, OCIA, Knights of Columbus, and parish festivals. It is the kind of parish where families know one another, where stewardship means donating your own labor to build a church, and where the pastor and parish staff coordinate ministry across four small towns in Marion County.
Mass times at St. Mark, Holy Family Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- After 7am daily Mass for 20 minutes
- 30 minutes before all other Masses for 20 minutes
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Marion: Thursday 6:00 AM (or 7:30 AM) through Friday 7:00 AM (overnight adoration)
- Pilsen: Tuesday 5:00 PM through Wednesday 1:00 AM
- Tampa: Wednesday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Parish History
Holy Family Parish was born from a long Catholic presence in Marion County that begins in 1860 with a Jesuit station for German settlers meeting in a private home. Diocesan archives record 1897 as the establishment of the mission by Fr. John Huna, and St. Mark's was canonically erected as a parish in 1950. Parishioners donated their labor and ran fundraisers to build the present church by Christmas 1951; the church hall and rectory followed in the 1960s. In mid-1991 the five Catholic parishes of Marion County were consolidated into a single parish with four worship sites, and on July 1, 1993, the name 'Holy Family Parish' was formally adopted.
St. Mark Church Building
St. Mark's current church, built in 1951, was substantially renovated in 2008 under then-pastor Fr. Hien Nguyen and a team of parishioners. The work reworked the interior layout, added a new altar, expanded parking, added handicapped accessibility, and built a covered canopy — all completed in time for Christmas Mass 2008. The Dedication Mass and consecration of the new altar was celebrated on December 27, 2008, the Feast of the Holy Family.
- Original church built for Christmas 1951
- Church hall and rectory added in the 1960s
- 2008 renovation and re-dedication
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is currently served by Fr. Isaac Coulter as pastor. The parish office is supported by a Parish Life Coordinator and a part-time secretary; in 2025 Rose Davidson retired from her role as Parish Life Administrator and was succeeded by Heidi Lydic, with Alecia Stuchlik serving as secretary. The pastor and staff coordinate ministry across all four worship sites.
- Pastor: Rev. Isaac J. Coulter
- Parish Life Coordinator: Heidi Lydic (as of late 2025)
- Secretary: Alecia Stuchlik
- Former Parish Life Administrator: Rose Davidson
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at Holy Family Parish includes PSR (Parish School of Religion) for children, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for adults seeking the sacraments, adult faith formation groups (such as the Bishop Robert Barron 'Untold Blessing' study), and a vibrant youth ministry that meets on Wednesday evenings, attends the diocesan Prayer and Action retreat each summer, and takes part in the Midwest Catholic Family Conference. Confirmation is celebrated by Bishop Kemme.
- PSR (children)
- OCIA (adults)
- Adult Formation small groups
- Youth Ministry (Wed. evenings)
- Prayer and Action summer retreat
- Midwest Catholic Family Conference trip
Liturgy Guilds & Music
Every confirmed parishioner is asked to sign up for at least one Liturgical role and one Guild ministry. The parish maintains active Liturgy Guilds of Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (including those who bring Communion to the homebound), Sacristans, Servers, Ushers, and Gift Bearers, as well as a Music Ministry of instrumentalists, cantors, an adult choir, and a youth choir. Servers and their dads gather for an annual Server Party with Fr. Isaac.
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (incl. Homebound EMHC)
- Sacristans
- Servers (with annual Server Party)
- Ushers
- Gift Bearers
- Music: Musicians, Cantor, Adult Choir, Youth Choir
Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun Devotion
Because Holy Family Parish includes the Pilsen worship site — hometown of Venerable Emil Kapaun, the Kansas-born U.S. Army chaplain and POW who died in a North Korean prison camp and whose cause for canonization is before the Church — the parish maintains an active devotion to him. The EMIL Ministry promotes his cause through events, Veterans Day and Kapaun Day observances, museum assistance, and a pilgrimage, and the parish awards the Fr. Kapaun Scholarship each year to a graduating Catholic senior from Marion County.
- EMIL Ministry
- Veterans Day and Kapaun Day events
- Kapaun Museum assistance
- Fr. Kapaun Scholarship for graduating seniors
- Venerable Emil Day (May 23)
Parish Life, Outreach & Festivals
Beyond liturgy, Holy Family Parish is sustained by parish festivals (four annual celebrations, supported by the Server Festival committee), a Knights of Columbus council that meets in the Marion MAC, Coffee and Donuts after Sunday Mass, a Bereavement ministry, a Gift-Bearer Prayer ministry, a Family Support ministry, and a Building & Grounds / Cleaning team that maintains the churches and parish hall. The annual Charity Auction at Pilsen is a major fundraiser.
- Four annual parish festivals
- Knights of Columbus (K of C) council
- Bereavement ministry
- Family Support ministry
- Building & Grounds / Cleaning ministry
- Charity Auction
Contact & Office Information
The parish office is located at the St. Mark campus, 415 N. Cedar Street, Marion, KS 66861. Office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:15 PM (the December 2025 bulletin lists a more limited schedule of Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 AM–1:00 PM and 2:00–4:00 PM). The parish email is [email protected].
- Address: 415 N. Cedar St., Marion, KS 66861
- Phone: 620-382-3369
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: hfpmc.org
- Office Hours: Tues–Fri 9:00 AM – 3:15 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Steve Gronert
Parish Life Administrator Rose Davidson's first boss at the consolidated parish
- Fr. Hien Nguyen
Led the 2008 interior renovation and re-dedication of St. Mark on Dec. 27, 2008 (Feast of the Holy Family)
- Fr. Darrin May
Served after Fr. Hien Nguyen
- Fr. Brian Bebak
Served after Fr. Darrin May
- Fr. Isaac Coulter
Current pastor (as of diocese directory listing)