About St. Mark · Virginia Beach, Virginia
The Catholic Church of Saint Mark is a parish of the Diocese of Richmond serving the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded in 1978 as the 'Indian River Catholic Community,' it has grown from 253 charter families worshipping in garages to a community of more than 1,400 families gathered around a sanctuary whose stained glass tells the story of St. Mark's Gospel. Today the parish is led by Fr. Eric Baffour Asamoah, a native of Ghana, and Deacon John Kren, and is known locally for its food pantry, its twinning relationship with the Maison Fortune orphanage in Haiti, and its active religious-formation program for children, teens, and adults.
- Established
- 1978
- Patron
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Eric Baffour Asamoah
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
St. Mark is a long-established Kempsville parish whose identity is rooted in a clear mission 'to image Jesus Christ by building His church in love with those in need.' Practically, that mission shows up in a Food Pantry that distributes groceries on Wednesdays, a twinning relationship with the Maison Fortune orphanage in Haiti, winter-week participation in the ecumenical Chesapeake Area Shelter Team, and a prison ministry to Deerfield Correctional Center. On the formation side, it offers children's religious education (K–5), a two-year teen Confirmation process, the MARKed Generation youth group, an adult OCIA process, Bible studies and small groups, Vacation Bible School, and an active music ministry — all under a pastor and deacon who are visibly committed to walking with families across every stage of Catholic life.
Mass times at St. Mark
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 4:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (begins promptly with community prayer and examination of conscience, followed by individual confession and absolution)
Parish History
St. Mark was founded on May 29, 1978 by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan, with boundaries drawn from 253 families then attending the Church of the Ascension and St. Matthew's. For the first five and a half years the community was literally a 'moving church,' worshipping in garages, backyards, Brandon Junior High, and borrowed Protestant sanctuaries. Land on Kempsville Road was purchased by the Diocese in February 1981, the first building went up after the November 6, 1983 groundbreaking, and the parish burned its first mortgage in 1988. The current sanctuary was dedicated on May 24, 1992.
- Founded May 29, 1978 by Bishop Walter F. Sullivan as the 'Indian River Catholic Community'
- Father Joseph L. Clark named founding pastor
- Renamed St. Mark to continue the gospel sequence with neighboring St. Matthew (followed by St. Luke and St. John to the east)
- Land at 1505 Kempsville Road purchased by the Diocese in February 1981
- Ground broken on the first building on November 6, 1983
- First mortgage burned at the 1988 parish picnic
- Sanctuary designed by McClung-Carver-Rogers; ground broken September 22, 1991; dedicated May 24, 1992
Building the Church and Community (1984 – 1991)
By 1984 the parish had grown to 543 families, and the 'portable' Masses moved between Hope Lutheran Church (Saturday evenings) and the Indian Lakes Elementary cafeteria (Sunday mornings). Baptisms took place in the 'cafeteria' church, religious-education classes met in homes, RCIA met in the rectory, and daily Mass was celebrated on the rectory's sun porch. As the parish grew toward 979 families, the building committee — working through Vatican II-era liturgical requirements and a parish survey — designed the Phase Two sanctuary, including the famous five stained-glass windows of the Gospel of St. Mark and the three Reservation-Chapel windows of the Sacraments of Initiation. The expansion added 14,146 square feet and was completed without a single pledge campaign.
- Hope Lutheran Church and Indian Lakes Elementary as worship sites in the 1980s
- First mortgage burned in 1988
- Vatican II-style liturgical study, parish survey, and architectural process with McClung-Carver-Rogers
- Stained-glass windows designed to depict the Gospel of St. Mark and the Sacraments of Initiation
Living Our Mission (1992 – Present)
After the dedication in 1992, the parish settled into its permanent home on Kempsville Road and turned its attention outward. Under Fr. Daniel Klem (1990–2002) the Food Pantry grew from a couple of cabinets to a three-day-a-week ministry, and the parish began its long commitment to the Haitian community that would lead to the Maison Fortune orphanage twinning. Fr. James C. Griffin (2002–2015) joined the ecumenical Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST) and led a week of overnight shelter and meals for the area homeless each winter. The summer of 2007 brought a new Columbarium dedicated by Bishop Sullivan. Fr. Anthony Mpungo (2015–2023) succeeded Fr. Griffin, and in July 2023 Fr. Eric Baffour Asamoah was assigned as the fifth pastor. Today the parish counts more than 1,400 families.
- Food Pantry expansion to three days a week
- Maison Fortune orphanage twinning and regular mission trips to Haiti
- Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST) winter-week homeless ministry
- Columbarium built and dedicated by Bishop Sullivan in 2007
- 1,400+ registered families today
Clergy and Staff
St. Mark is led by its fifth pastor, Fr. Eric Baffour Asamoah, with Rev. Mr. John J. Kren serving as Acting Pastoral Associate and Permanent Deacon. The parish office and religious-formation teams together form the day-to-day backbone of the community.
- Pastor — Fr. Eric Baffour Asamoah (native of Ghana, ordained July 1, 2000; Richmond Diocese since 2017; member of the Priest Advisory Committee)
- Acting Pastoral Associate — Rev. Mr. John J. Kren (ordained March 2003; with St. Mark since 1983; also Director of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Richmond)
- Business Manager — Mary Ellen Cussen
- Parish Secretary — Sherry Smeland
- I.T. / Facilities Coordinator — Brian Gridley
- Music Director — Mark Smeland
- Liturgical Musician — Vikki Ignacio
- Director of Religious Education (DRE) — Fe Guzman
- Coordinator of Religious Formation — Nicole Brimer
- Nursery Supervisor — Renee McCroskey
- Nursery Assistant — Kathleen Seddon
- Custodian — Thomas Smith
Religious Formation
Religious formation at St. Mark is described by the parish as 'a lifelong journey of faith, rooted in the Word, nourished by the sacraments, and guided by the Holy Spirit.' The program serves children, teens, and adults, with sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, and ongoing adult formation through Bible studies, small groups, and retreats. The 2025–2026 Confirmation calendar includes an orientation in September, sessions running October through April, a January retreat, and the parish-wide Confirmation Mass (date TBD).
- Children's Formation (Grades K–5) — Sundays 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
- Teen Faith Formation (Grades 6–12) — Sundays 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- MARKed Generation youth group — 4th Saturday after the 5:30 PM Mass
- Confirmation — two-year process, with pre-Confirmation foundation year and immediate sacramental year including sponsor and saint selection, service, and a retreat
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Adult Formation — Bible studies, small groups, retreats
- Vacation Bible School (VBS)
- VIRTUS / Safe Environment training
- Formed subscription available to parishioners
- Director of Religious Education: Fe Guzman; Coordinator of Religious Formation: Nicole Brimer
Justice and Peace / Outreach
The Justice and Peace committee describes its mission as 'imaging Jesus Christ by fostering the values that He gave us and to promote the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church.' The committee sponsors year-round programs like the Food Pantry and Snack-Bag Ministry, plus seasonal efforts such as the Christmas Giving Tree, and meets on the 3rd Monday every other month (January, March, May…) at 6:30 PM, currently via Zoom.
- Food Pantry — collects, purchases, and distributes food on Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; item list published (cereal, canned vegetables, peanut butter, tuna, rice, etc.)
- Snack-Bag Ministry
- Christmas Giving Tree (seasonal)
- Maison Fortune (Haiti) orphanage twinning and mission trips
- Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST) — winter-week overnight shelter program requiring ~270 volunteers
- Prison Ministry at Deerfield Correctional Center
- Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
Music and Liturgy
Music at St. Mark is led by Music Director Mark Smeland and Liturgical Musician Vikki Ignacio, in collaboration with the parish's Liturgy Committee. The 10:30 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed for parishioners at home. The parish also maintains a Worship Aid resource on the parish website.
- Music Director — Mark Smeland
- Liturgical Musician — Vikki Ignacio
- Liturgy Committee oversight
- Sunday 10:30 AM Mass livestreamed
- Parish-composed hymn 'By Cross and Water Signed' (by Del Ridge, written for the 1992 dedication)
Facilities — Church, Columbarium, and Grounds
The Catholic Church of Saint Mark sits on 6.58 acres at 1505 Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach, about a quarter mile south of Indian River Road and next to the Holloman-Brown Funeral Home. The sanctuary's stained-glass windows, the Great Hall, and the 2007 Columbarium together form the heart of the parish's physical plant. Parishioners interested in procuring a Columbarium niche are invited to call the Parish Office.
- Sanctuary dedicated May 24, 1992
- Five stained-glass windows depicting the Gospel of St. Mark
- Three Reservation-Chapel windows depicting Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist
- St. Mark Columbarium — built 2007, dedicated by Bishop Sullivan, adjacent to the church
- Great Hall for parish socials and fellowship events
Welcome and Newcomers
St. Mark's Welcome page is built around an image of 'Imaging Jesus Christ by building His church in love with those in need' — a mission that has guided the parish since its days in borrowed garages and borrowed sanctuaries. The page invites those who are visiting, returning to the faith, moving into the area, or considering joining the parish to learn more about registration, ministries, and parish life.
- Parishioners and visitors encouraged to register through the parish office
- Faith-formation registration handled by the Religious Formation Office (757) 479-9897
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday 9 AM–3 PM; Sunday 9 AM–1 PM (summer: 9 AM–1 PM on the same days)
- Religious Formation Office: Monday–Thursday 9 AM–3 PM; Sunday 9 AM–2 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph L. Clark1978 – 1990
Founding pastor. Established the parish as the 'Indian River Catholic Community'; lived initially at Star of the Sea while the new community worshipped in garages, backyards, and borrowed church/school spaces. Overlapped the purchase of the Kempsville Road land and the 1983 groundbreaking for the first building.
- Father Daniel N. Klem1990 – 2002
Second pastor. Oversaw design and construction of the 1992 sanctuary (with architect McClung-Carver-Rogers) and the 1988 mortgage burning. Later served Sacred Heart, then became weekend assistant of the Cluster Parishes of St. Mary/Holy Angels/St. Paul after recovering from Stage Four Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and two strokes.
- Father James C. Griffin2002 – 2015
Third pastor. Expanded the Food Pantry to three days a week, helped develop the parish's twinning relationship with Maison Fortune orphanage in Haiti, and led the parish's participation in CAST (Chesapeake Area Shelter Team).
- Father Anthony Mpungo2015 – 2023
Fourth pastor. Transferred to Holy Spirit in July 2023.
- Father Eric Baffour Asamoah2023 – present
Fifth pastor, assigned July 1, 2023. Native of Ghana, ordained July 1, 2000; has served in the Richmond Diocese since 2017. Also serves on the Priest Advisory Committee for the Richmond Diocese.