Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
Deanery: Washington, DC Deanery
Address
7124 River Rd
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Email:
Website: stmarkoca.org
Office: 301-229-6300
Church: 301-229-9720
Parish Contacts
Bethesda, MD 20817
Lay Leadership
Annandale, VA 22003
Montgomery Village, MD 20886
Directions
General Location
Saint Mark Orthodox Church is located in Bethesda, Maryland, just inside the Washington, DC Capital Beltway. Our Montgomery County location is only a few miles from Fairfax County in Virginia and from the District of Columbia. The church is handicapped accessible (ramp and elevator).
From the Beltway (I-495)
Take exit 39 (River Road) east approximately one mile to the second traffic light (Nevis Road). Turn right on Nevis Road and then take an immediate right onto the service road. St Mark Church is 300 yards up the road on the left.
Schedule of Services
5:30 PM Vespers.
Saturday Evening
9:30 AM Divine Liturgy, followed by a fellowship hour.
Sunday Morning
7:00 PM Vespers or Vesperal Liturgy.
Eves of Great Feasts
10:00 AM Liturgy.
Mornings of Great Feasts
Confessions are heard each Saturday before Vespers beginning at 5:00 p.m. and one hour before evening services during Great Lent.
Confessions
Please visit the Monthly Calendar on the parish website or call the Church at 301-229-6300 for current seasonal schedule information.
Parish Background
St Mark’s parish was formed and held its first Divine Liturgy on June 11, 1972. The parish is dedicated to the witness and teaching of the Orthodox Christian Faith in the English language. St Mark Church is under the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), an autocephalous Church, and seeks to attract those who have drifted away from Orthodoxy as well as those who have not yet discovered it. The membership is comprised of persons coming from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.
The Very Reverend Gregory Safchuk, Matushka Sasha and their sons Nathaniel, Benjamin and Alexander joined us at St Mark Church in September 2000. He brought with him 16 years of full-time pastoral experience from prior assignments in Alaska, Michigan and California. Fr. Timothy Perry, formerly from the diocese of the West, joined us in December 2002 being attached to St. Mark Parish by his Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman. Very Reverend Mark W. Koczak was also attached to our parish.
No Liturgy at St Mark would be complete without our superb choir. We are blessed to have several choir directors who have been directing the choir at St. Mark for many years. This talented group practices weekly to provide music at Vespers, Weddings, Baptisms, Memorial Services and Liturgies, as well as performing in community concerts. St Vladimir’s Seminary has released a tape of St Mark’s choir under the title “Hymns of American Orthodoxy.” Another recording, “I Leave You My Peace: Scripture and Song for Prayer and Reflection,” has also been released. To order a copy of these tapes, contact Wayne Tatusko at 703-573-0585.
St Mark Church offers a program of religious instruction for children between the ages of 5 and 18. Approximately 90 children are enrolled. The Church School aims to promote an understanding of the fundamentals of the Orthodox Christian Faith and to awaken the youth of our parish to the riches of a Christian life. Moreover, the Friends of St Mark Church School, a body of interested adults, provides continuing spiritual and material support and encouragement to our church school students and their teachers. St Mark also offers adult and young adult Bible Study classes on various topics.
The Fellowship of Orthodox Christians in America (FOCA) has a very active, enthusiastic chapter at St Mark. Chartered in February 1995 as Chapter #229, the membership ranges around 75, and is committed to including all Orthodox Christians - regardless of ancestry - in their fellowship and in extending the ministry of the church into the community. Through activities encompassing the spiritual/religious, cultural/historical, social/recreational, and fund-raising, Chapter #229 has aided numerous charitable and philanthropic causes. New members are always welcome to join the St Mark FOCA.
