Our strategic plan is a roadmap designed to help us grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and strengthen parish life over the next three years. The plan focuses our efforts on three priorities: Building One Parish Family, Improving Discipleship and Faith Formation, and Increasing Fellowship and Hospitality. Click here for an overview of the plan’s priorities, goals, and strategies.
The Strategic Plan is not intended to replace the many ministries, programs, and acts of service that already strengthen parish life. Rather, it helps us focus our attention on several key opportunities identified through parish-wide consultation and discernment.
Get Involved
The success of the Strategic Plan depends on the prayer, participation, and gifts of our parish community. We invite all parishioners to become involved in one or more priorities.
To express interest in serving, please email the team in your area of interest:
Build One Parish Family
Improve Discipleship and Faith Formation
Increase Fellowship and Hospitality
We also welcome your thoughts, questions, and suggestions as we work together to strengthen parish life at St. Mark. Feel free to email us!
Implementation Updates
Beginning in April 2026, these updates will share progress, stories, and opportunities related to the Parish Strategic Plan.
Strategic Plan Progress Highlights
August 2026 Update
Priority 1:
- Welcome Back Day: On August 19th, St. Mark Catholic School families attended Welcome Back Day. Students visited their classrooms, met their teachers, and reconnected with friends. Families gathered in the gym to learn about various ways to get involved in both school and church activities. Representatives from multiple ministries were present, interacted with families, and recruited new volunteers in an effort to foster stronger connections between the school and church community. The day was a roaring success!
- School Volunteer Opportunities for Parishioners: Goal 1 co-lead, Marybeth Trible, met with school principal, Kim Parker, and Priority 1 co-lead, Cathy Wright, to finalize volunteer opportunities and create a “roll-out” timeline. We are currently establishing a point of contact for each opportunity and working on bulletin ads to advertise (ex: office help, math and reading tutoring, library support). The plan is to push out the ads to ministry leads, as well. Stay tuned!
- Ministry Lead Survey: Priority 1 co-leads and Goal #2 lead, Greg Ulses, met with Megan Murphy to discuss ideas on establishing the current volunteer database and ways to track additional volunteers. We discussed creating and distributing a survey to all ministry leads and commission heads to gather data regarding each ministry (e.g., mission, volunteer opportunities, current volunteer list/contact information, etc.). Megan also let us know that she invited all ministry leads to participate in the Parish Festival with a table/representatives from their respective ministries.
Priority 2
- Exalt – Adoration, Praise and Worship: On September 3rd parishioners and friends joined in praise and worship singing along with the Exalt group. The evening was attended by all ages and included the blessings of Confession.
- Adult Faith Formation for Fall 2026:
- Alpha in the Catholic Context – 11 week series beginning on September 14th in the Cassidy Activity Center
- Fall/Winter Acts of the Apostles Bible Study (Zoom) – beginning on September 15/16 on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings (38 parishioners have signed up so far)
- Mom’s Group, Men’s Group, and Praying College Mom’s: The groups are gathering for their fall season and are actively involved in several other ministries.
- Trinity House Program (Heaven in Your Home)
- Met with co-founder Soren Johnson and reviewed the program, which provides family-based faith formation through prayer, shared meals, adult formation, and age-based breakout sessions.
- Program plans and materials are readily available and are already being used within the Diocese and by parishes across the country.
- Tiffany expressed the parish’s interest, recruited parishioners and couples to participate, formed the ministry team, and scheduled the first three sessions, which are planned to take place bimonthly after Mass.
- Stephen Ministry
- Continuing to research the Stephen Ministry model as a potential pastoral care resource; currently not pursuing implementation at this time.
- Attended the Stephen Ministry conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on August 15 to learn more about the program and its impact.
- Evaluating the ministry’s training, materials, and support structure, which are designed to help parishioners expand pastoral care and outreach efforts.
- Hallow Partnership
- Continuing preparations for the parish-wide Hallow rollout in October, with onboarding scheduled for September 15.
- Identifying and inviting parish team members who are familiar with Hallow to assist with implementation and promotion.
Priority 3
- The Goal 5 Leads met with Megan Murphy and sketched out an annual calendar of events strategy for St. Mark. We decided on the “fewer but better” approach with three well-designed and well-executed parish events per year (the parish festival, a winter fundraiser, and a Friday Lenten pizza bracket. Then, smaller activities (such as cooking classes, service activities, etc.) will be held throughout the year.
- The Goal 6 Lead, Sharon Cantwell, with the help of a couple of volunteers gathered all the “lots of beauty” suggestions from the committee and created a spreadsheet that they ran by Fr. Peter and Denise. They are meeting on 9/15 to assign the approved ideas to members of the committee to research.
Welcome Back Day Brings School and Parish Together
On August 19, 2026, St. Mark Catholic School families gathered for Welcome Back Day, kicking off a new school year with excitement, connection, and a shared sense of community. Students met their teachers, visited classrooms, and reunited with friends, while parents explored opportunities to become more involved in both school and parish life. [stmarkorg0…epoint.com]
What made this year’s Welcome Back Day especially meaningful was its role in advancing St. Mark’s “One Parish Family” vision. Throughout the gym, representatives from parish ministries welcomed families, answered questions, shared information about their ministries, and invited new volunteers to participate in the life of the parish. Ministries and organizations including Youth Ministry, Religious Education, Liturgical Ministries, the Liturgical Arts Committee, Alpha, Christ House, Music Ministry, and Scouts were among those represented.
The event transformed the school gym into a vibrant hub of engagement. Families moved from table to table learning about faith formation opportunities, service ministries, worship involvement, youth programs, and community outreach efforts. Ministry leaders had meaningful conversations with parents and students, helping them discover ways to share their gifts and connect more deeply with the parish community.
Beyond providing back-to-school information, Welcome Back Day demonstrated the intentional partnership between St. Mark Catholic School and St. Mark Parish. By introducing families to ministries and volunteer opportunities at the very start of the school year, the event created new pathways for involvement and strengthened relationships between school families and the broader parish community.
As students eagerly explored their classrooms and families gathered throughout the gym, the day reflected the spirit of a thriving Catholic community: welcoming, connected, and united in faith. The enthusiastic participation of ministries and families alike made Welcome Back Day a successful first step toward building stronger connections across the parish and school.
July 2026 Update
Priority 1:
- Invited a variety of church ministries to attend Welcome Back Day on August 19 at St. Mark Catholic School to encourage greater school family involvement in church ministries and foster stronger connections between the school and church community.
- Met with school principal, Mrs. Kimberly Parker, to compile a list of parishioner volunteer opportunities at the school, which will be shared with the parish community over the next month or two.
Priority 2:
- Agreed to a two-year partnership with Hallow, launching mid-October, to provide premium content for building a personal prayer life free to all parishioners.
- Launched St. Mark Church Instagram account @stmarkviennava as a way to share the Sunday Mass experience with our neighbors
- Identified Trinity House Communities as an excellent family ministry opportunity; invited a number of families to discern helping lead this for the coming year.
- St. Mark Diocesan Cursillo – Formation, Faith, and Friends held at St. Mark on Saturday, July 25. Witness and talk on “How to find, join, or form a Group reunion.” Fr. Tuck shared about “How to Make a Friend, Be a Friend, and Bring a Friend to Christ”. 8 new parishioners attended.
Priority 3:
- Because of the weather, the Summer Movie Night Under the Stars became the Summer Movie Night Under the Twinkly Lights in the Gym. Despite the move, a lot of fun was had by all! [Pictures below]
- Launched the Renovation Committee and created a process for submitting and researching renovation ideas to present to Father Peter and the parish staff.
- Need to check with Father Peter whether he wants to announce that he met with architects regarding the sanctuary renovation.
What’s next?
Priority 1: St. Mark School is back in session August 20th! Parishioners are invited to look for ways to volunteer at the school. SMCS Welcome Back Day on August 19th.
Priority 2: Follow us @stmarkviennava on new church Instagram! Stay tuned for Adult Bible Study opportunities!
Priority 3: Parish Festival in September – Learn more or volunteer here!
June 2026 Update
Strategic Plan Moves Into Action
We are pleased to share that, after months of dedicated work by our Strategic Planning Team, our Strategic Plan is complete and implementation is now underway. Thanks to the commitment of parishioners and staff who have stepped into leadership roles, we are already putting our vision into action.
As part of this effort, Fr. Peter has established a renewed Pastoral Council that aligns with diocesan guidance and will focus on tracking progress toward Strategic Plan goals, providing recommendations for continued growth, and communicating results to the parish. The council’s membership has been finalized, and its first meeting will take place next week.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the former Pastoral Council for their years of faithful service and leadership. Their dedication has helped strengthen our parish through countless ministries and volunteer initiatives.
As we move forward, parish involvement remains essential. We encourage everyone to share their gifts and talents by participating in Strategic Plan initiatives and other volunteer opportunities. Together, we will continue building a vibrant, welcoming, and faith-filled parish community.Strategic Plan Progress Highlights
Priority 1: Strengthening Parish Community & Engagement
- A VIRTUS training session is scheduled at St. Mark on July 14 at 6:00 p.m. Information has been shared with Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and the School to encourage participation.
- Teams are exploring opportunities for joint service projects that bring together parish ministries and community members in service.
- Work is underway to create a comprehensive list of school volunteer opportunities to invite greater parish involvement and strengthen connections between the parish and school communities.
Priority 2: Faith Formation & Spiritual Growth
- We are exploring several potential external partnerships to enhance faith formation opportunities for parishioners of all ages.
- Areas of focus include:
- Integrated family formation and ministry
- Personal prayer and spiritual development
- Community support and accompaniment
Priority 3: St. Mark has a softball team!
St. Mark has officially joined Our Lady of Good Counsel’s summer softball league for some fun cross-town rivalry. Parishioners are having great fun getting to know each other. For the first couple of games, our chant was “We came in second!”. But we had a big win in Game #3, so we’ve got our sights set on the playoffs now. Go, Gold! If you’re interested in joining this crew (All skill levels welcome! Trust us!), please reach out to fellowship@stmark.org. The league is accepting new registrations until July 4. We can also put you on an interest list for next summer.
Meanwhile, Father Peter is hoping to engage with an architect soon to discuss larger beautification projects and what these types of projects entail. At the same time, Sharon Cantwell is leading a committee to start looking into the smaller beautification projects recommended by Priority 3 volunteers. And check out the first of many projects – the new sign on Vale Road! Thank you, Sharon, for making that happen! If you are interested joining this smaller projects committee, please email fellowship@stmark.org.
May 2026 Update
During May, all three priority teams began the work of implementation. Parishioners who expressed interest in supporting one or more priorities were contacted and invited to participate in an initial planning meeting. Volunteers and leaders gathered to assess current efforts, identify strengths, and explore opportunities for growth.
Highlights:
- All parishioners who expressed interest in supporting the Strategic Plan were contacted and invited to become involved.
- Priority teams for all three priorities held initial meetings with volunteers to review the goals of the Strategic Plan, discuss current efforts, and begin identifying opportunities for growth.
- Priority and goal leaders began establishing meeting rhythms and implementation plans to support ongoing progress.
- Priority III: Increase Fellowship and Hospitality launched a new parish outreach effort through participation in Viva! Vienna.
St. Mark at Viva! Vienna
One of the most visible signs of progress this month came through St. Mark’s participation in Viva! Vienna. Led by volunteers supporting Priority III, parishioners staffed a booth throughout the festival, distributed giveaways, and engaged in meaningful conversations with members of the local community.
The event provided an opportunity to extend hospitality beyond our campus and introduce many people to the life of the parish. Through these conversations, approximately 100 individuals shared their contact information to learn more about St. Mark. The parish office has since followed up with each of these contacts.
This effort reflects the Strategic Plan’s commitment to fostering hospitality, strengthening connections, and creating opportunities for people to encounter the parish community.
What’s Next
During the coming months:
- Priority and goal teams will continue assessing current ministries and initiatives related to their areas of focus.
- Leadership teams will begin identifying specific recommendations and first-year action items.
- Volunteers will continue to be engaged in the implementation process across all three priorities.
- Future updates will share stories, milestones, and opportunities for involvement as the work progresses.
Thank you to the many parishioners who have generously offered their time, ideas, and expertise. Your participation is helping transform the Strategic Plan from a roadmap into a shared effort to strengthen the life of our parish.
April 2026 Update
The Strategic Plan was presented to the parish at all Masses on April 11–12, introducing the priorities, goals, and vision for the years ahead. Parishioners were invited to respond to the Strategic Plan by identifying areas where they felt called to contribute their gifts and talents, and many stepped forward to learn more about participating.
Leadership Teams Formed
One of the first steps following the launch of the Strategic Plan was identifying parishioners willing to help lead implementation. Priority and goal leaders have now been identified for all three priorities and six goals. These leaders will help coordinate volunteers, assess current efforts, identify opportunities for growth, and support ongoing implementation over the coming years. Their willingness to serve marks an important transition from planning to implementation.
What’s Next
During the coming months:
- Priority leaders will begin meeting with interested parishioners to assess current efforts, identify strengths, and explore opportunities for growth.
- Leadership teams will establish implementation plans and meeting rhythms to support steady progress and accountability.
- Future updates will share stories, milestones, and opportunities for involvement across all three priorities.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for this effort, offered feedback, and stepped forward to serve. The Strategic Plan is only possible because of the many parishioners who generously share their time, talents, and love for St. Mark. We look forward to continuing this work together as one parish family.
Find a description of the Parish Strategic Plan here.
Strategic Plan Volunteers
We need each of you to get involved in our Parish Strategic Plan. Enter your contact information below and please note your specific area of interest. One of the team members in our area of interest will get back to you. Thank you for being a part of revitalizing our Parish! Read more about the plan here.