About St. Mark the Evangelist · Hyattsville, Maryland
St. Mark the Evangelist is a Roman Catholic parish in Hyattsville, Maryland, within the Archdiocese of Washington. Founded in 1958 on twelve acres of the former Buddington Farm near the intersection of Adelphi Road and University Boulevard, it began as a young-family parish with its own parish school staffed by the Religious of Jesus and Mary. Over the decades the parish grew dramatically — particularly as Central American immigrants settled in Hyattsville, Langley Park, College Park and Lewisdale — and today it is a culturally diverse, bilingual (English/Spanish) community of roughly 6,000 parishioners from more than fifty countries. The parish is known for its active food pantry, RCIA program, school, devotional life, and a long tradition of welcoming new waves of Catholic faithful to the Washington metro area.
- Established
- 1958
- Patron
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Roberto Cortes-Campos
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Mark the Evangelist offers a warmly bilingual Catholic community in central Prince George's County with daily and Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish, daily Eucharistic Adoration in the rectory chapel, and a long-standing food pantry serving local families in need. New parishioners are encouraged to register with the parish office so the community can accompany them, and the parish sponsors RCIA, religious education, CYO athletics, a parish school, and a music ministry for all ages. It is a parish where immigrant Catholics from more than fifty countries have found a spiritual home for over sixty-five years.
Mass times at St. Mark the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
- Saturday, 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
Adoration times
- Daily, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM in the Rectory Chapel (except Holy Days)
Parish History
St. Mark the Evangelist was canonically established on September 1, 1958 on twelve acres of Buddington Farm purchased by the Archdiocese of Washington, near the intersection of Colesville Road (now Adelphi Road) and University Boulevard. Father Louis W. Albert was founding pastor; the first Mass was celebrated the first Sunday of October and the parish school opened September 15, 1958 with grades one through four, staffed by the Religious of Jesus and Mary. By 1970 parishioners had built and paid for $1,230,000 of parish facilities, including the school, convent, and rectory.
- 1958 — Twelve acres of Buddington Farm purchased; Father Louis W. Albert appointed founding pastor.
- Sept. 1, 1958 — Parish canonically established.
- Sept. 15, 1958 — Parish school opens with grades 1–4.
- 1961 — Additional classrooms and an enlarged rectory.
- 1968 — Convent completed for the Religious of Jesus and Mary.
- 1970 — Father Richard A. Hughes becomes second pastor; parishioners complete $1,230,000 in paid facilities.
- 1974–75 — Carnelian Room social hall built; Albert Hall converted into the church.
- April 1975 — Devastating fire nearly destroys the church; damage repaired.
- 1976 — Altar of the Blessed Sacrament added.
- 1999 — New $3.4 million sanctuary dedicated by Cardinal James A. Hickey under Pastor Julio Alvarez.
Demographic Transformation and Mission
Through the 1980s and 1990s Hyattsville and the surrounding communities of Langley Park, College Park and Lewisdale absorbed large waves of Central American Catholic immigrants, transforming St. Mark's from a parish that had been 98% white and Anglo into a bilingual, multicultural community of roughly 6,000 parishioners from more than fifty countries. The parish has supported overseas missions, aided the Vietnamese Boat People, and reached out to newcomers from South America, Poland, and other regions, while enriching parish life through ecumenism, retreats, Bible study, and parish missions.
- Parish demographics shifted from 98% white/Anglo to about 35% Hispanic by the late 1990s.
- Approximately 6,000 parishioners from more than fifty countries worship at St. Mark's.
- Pastoral outreach to the Vietnamese Boat People, South American, Polish, and Third World communities.
- Bilingual liturgical and sacramental life in English and Spanish.
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Office
The parish is served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, two permanent deacons, and lay staff for religious education, music, RCIA, and administration. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and the parish is wheelchair accessible.
- Pastor: Rev. Roberto Cortes-Campos
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. D. Paul Sullins
- Permanent Deacons: Deacon Curtis Turner, Deacon Jose Renato Molina
- Religious Education / Educación Religiosa: Genara Romero
- Music Ministry / Ministerio de Música: Wendy Bonilla
- Office Manager: Michael Zelaya
- RCIA Coordinator (English): Nick Guevara
- Secretary: Jessica Martinez (per ADW) / Henry Sanchez (per parish contact page)
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
St. Mark's celebrates a full week of Masses in both English and Spanish, with two daily Masses on most weekdays and four Sunday Masses. A bilingual Mass aid is available for worshippers, and the parish publishes the schedule under 'Mass Schedule – Calendario de Misas.' Confessions are heard twice on Saturday afternoons, and Eucharistic Adoration runs daily in the Rectory Chapel.
- Sunday: 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM (English); 12:00 PM (Spanish).
- Monday: 8:00 AM.
- Tuesday–Friday: 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
- Saturday: 8:00 AM; 4:30 PM Vigil; 7:00 PM (Spanish).
- Holy Days: 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 6:00 PM (English) and 7:30 PM (Spanish).
- Confessions: Saturday 3:15–4:15 PM and 6:00–6:45 PM.
- Eucharistic Adoration: Daily 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM in the Rectory Chapel (except Holy Days).
- Novena before 8:00 AM Mass, Monday–Saturday; Miraculous Medal Novena after Wednesday 8:00 AM Mass.
Faith Formation, RCIA, and Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mark's runs from children's CCD classes through the RCIA process for adults, coordinated by a dedicated lay team. Religious Education is offered bilingually (Educación Religiosa), and the parish's RCIA coordinator works with inquirers seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church. The parish school — opened within weeks of the parish's founding — remains part of the parish's educational mission, complemented by CYO athletics and CCD programs.
- RCIA (English) — coordinated by Nick Guevara.
- Religious Education / Educación Religiosa — Genara Romero.
- Parish school (K–8) — staffed originally by the Religious of Jesus and Mary.
- CCD and CYO programs for parish youth.
Music Ministry
The parish's Music Ministry / Ministerio de Música, under Wendy Bonilla, supports the sung liturgy at Mass in both English and Spanish. The parish history page specifically credits the choir, along with lectors and ushers, with promoting the liturgy at St. Mark's for decades, and the parish has long hosted family liturgies and special teen and youth liturgies with music.
- Music Ministry / Ministerio de Música led by Wendy Bonilla.
- Choir, lectors, and ushers support English and Spanish Masses.
- Family and youth liturgies with music are a parish tradition.
Outreach and Parish Services
St. Mark's runs a St. Mark Food Pantry as part of its local outreach, providing food for families and individuals in need in the greater Hyattsville area. The parish also participates in wider charitable efforts — historically supporting missions, aiding the Vietnamese Boat People, and reaching out to South American, Polish, and other immigrant communities in the Archdiocese of Washington.
- St. Mark Food Pantry.
- Outreach to local homeless, hungry, and families in need.
- Historical support of overseas missions and refugee communities.
- Hospitality and accompaniment for immigrant Catholics new to the area.
Becoming a Registered Parishioner
The parish encourages newcomers to complete a parish registration form available from the ushers or at the rectory office. According to the parish, registration brings tangible benefits: it allows the parish to communicate with and serve members better, can be helpful for future immigration-law matters (the parish emphasizes that diocesan leadership will not share registration information with any government or law enforcement agency), and provides documentation that can be useful for enrolling children in local parochial schools.
- Registration forms available from ushers or the rectory office.
- Confidentiality guaranteed — registration is not shared with government or law enforcement agencies.
- Registration supports sacramental, educational, and pastoral care.
Campus, Facilities, and Accessibility
The parish complex at 7501 Adelphi Road includes the current church (dedicated 1999), the Carnelian Room social hall (built 1974–75), the rectory, the parish school building, the former convent of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, and storage facilities. Parish parking lots fit more than 200 cars, and the campus is wheelchair accessible according to the Archdiocese of Washington's parish directory.
- Carnelian Room social hall (1975) — used for basketball, bingo, wedding receptions, school functions.
- Albert Hall — original auditorium, later converted to church use.
- Parish school building (opened 1958).
- Rectory, convent (completed 1968), and storage facilities.
- Parking for 200+ cars; wheelchair accessible.
Contact and Office Information
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person. The office is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and serves both English and Spanish-speaking callers.
- Address: 7501 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20783.
- Phone: 301-422-8300; Fax: 301-422-2313.
- Email: [email protected] (also: [email protected]).
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis W. Albert1958–1970
Founding pastor; appointed by the Archdiocese of Washington in summer 1958; oversaw the building of the school, convent, and rectory.
- Rev. (later Msgr.) Richard A. Hughes1970–1987
Second pastor; oversaw the Carnelian Room social hall and conversion of Albert Hall into the church; named papal chamberlain (1972) and domestic prelate (1978); later served at St. Michael, Baden, and St. Mary of the Assumption, Upper Marlboro. Died March 6, 2017.
- Rev. Julio Alvarezc. 1990s–late 1990s
Cuban-born pastor who led the parish through its demographic shift; under his leadership a new $3.4 million sanctuary was dedicated by Cardinal James A. Hickey in 1999.
- Rev. Roberto Cortes-Campospresent
Current pastor per the Archdiocese of Washington parish directory.