Parish Security and Facility Improvements

Dear Parish Family,

I’m excited to share meaningful progress on several facility and security initiatives made possible through years of generous PTPO support. Your generosity is helping us strengthen the safety, functionality, and future of our parish and school community, and we are seeing important results.

Security Planning and Improvements

Keeping our children, families, parishioners, and staff safe remains one of our highest priorities. I’m especially pleased to share that we have secured professional security guard services for the weekly school Masses. This important enhancement responds directly to parishioner feedback and provides an additional layer of protection and peace of mind whenever our students gather.

This achievement is part of a broader security initiative that has expanded from the original key-fob and camera project into a comprehensive review of campus-wide security needs. In June, a Security Committee was formed to guide this effort, bringing together parish leadership, staff, and volunteers to develop a thoughtful, long-term approach to campus safety.

Throughout the summer, the committee and staff surveyed parish groups, consulted security professionals, evaluated access-control options, and gathered information needed to shape future improvements. With this work now largely complete, the committee is moving into the next phase: developing detailed access-control plans and soliciting proposals for recommended enhancements.

We look forward to sharing the comprehensive security plan with the parish and engaging parishioners in the conversation. If you have experience or expertise in security, facilities, technology, or project management, we welcome your participation. Watch for an invitation in the coming weeks to learn more and join the discussion.

Gym and Activities Center Improvements

We are also making exciting progress on improvements that will enhance our gymnasium and activity spaces for students, parish groups, and community events.

New volleyball equipment has arrived and will be installed in the coming weeks, expanding opportunities for athletics, recreation, and parish activities.

In addition, the PTPO obtained proposals to improve gym stage sound, lighting, acoustics, and visibility, including the addition of a viewing window in the stage’s retractable wall. To maximize resources and reduce installation costs, this work was combined with planned audio-visual upgrades for the Cassidy Activities Center.

Following a thorough review process, vendors have been selected and project planning is underway. These enhancements will create a better experience for school productions, assemblies, presentations, parish events, and community gatherings, helping our spaces serve the community more effectively for years to come.

Looking Ahead

Together, these initiatives reflect our commitment to creating a safer, more welcoming, and better-equipped parish community while responsibly stewarding the resources entrusted to us. We are encouraged by the progress made so far and excited about the opportunities ahead.

Thank you for your generosity, patience, prayers, and continued support. Your partnership is helping build a stronger St. Mark for today’s parish families and for future generations.

We look forward to sharing additional updates as these projects continue to move forward. In the meantime, please visit our website for more information and watch for details about the upcoming parish security planning discussion.

Peace and Prayers,

Fr. Peter

Parish Security & Facility Updates

🔒 Security Enhancements: Real Progress, Rooted in Community Input

We’re excited to share how far our security initiative has come — thanks to the dedication of committed parishioners, staff, and clergy working together to keep our school and campus safe.

How it started: Back in early 2026, a parishioner-led committee brought forward a thoughtful security enhancement proposal. From there, Crystal Sheehan, Roy Barrett, Kim Parker, and Fr. Peter got to work securing vendor quotes for a key fob and camera project — focused on giving students quick, secure emergency access to the school and expanding camera coverage in key areas, guided by recommendations from the Diocesan Safety and Security Review.

Building the team: Recognizing the scope of the work ahead, Fr. Peter began forming a dedicated Security Committee — a move that’s already paying dividends in how thoroughly and thoughtfully this project is being handled.

Fresh eyes, sharper focus: When Denise Argote and Theresa Kohler stepped into the Office and Business Manager role in May, they dove into the key fob project and quickly identified an opportunity to do this right: adding campus re-keying to fully secure our outside entrances, and attempting to get complete, comparable quotes from every vendor.

The committee gets to work: At its first meeting in June, the committee made a smart call — pause, and build a solid foundation first. That meant:

A busy, productive summer: The committee secured quotes from private security firms, staff folded re-keying into the fob project quotes, and a campus-wide security survey helped pinpoint our top priorities.

Momentum into fall:

What’s next: The plan will be brought to the parish for open discussion, with opportunities for parishioners with relevant expertise to get involved and help bring it to life. Stay tuned!

🏐 Gym & Activities Center Upgrades

Exciting things are happening in the gym too!

We’re grateful for the volunteers, staff, and committee members making all of this possible — thank you for helping keep our campus safe, functional, and full of great spaces for our community to gather!

Check back soon for progress charts on what was promised, what was raised, and what was completed!

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