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Family Community Celebrates with New Church
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Dedication of
St. Mark Church, Long Valley
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Photos By
Joe Gigli
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Story by
Jeanne Dikdan Gigli
WASHINGTON TWP. –
The family community of St. Mark the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Long Valley recently participated in a special ceremony of faith and growth – the dedication of their first church building by the Most Reverend Frank J. Rodimer, Bishop of Paterson.
The mission of St. Mark's
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was established in January 1986 and was elevated to parish status in April 1988. Then, there were only 75 families. Now, there are more
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than 500 families that make up this young, vibrant congregation.
The theme for the dedication - "A place of simple elegance and
reverence where all are welcome" – reflects the uncomplicated and natural setting of the church's interior and exterior design. The project cost just over $2 million with a portion of the funds coming from the
Diocese of Paterson and another portion from a major parish fund drive. Groundbreaking was held in 2001.
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Prior to this dedication, weekend Masses were celebrated in the parish's Family Life Center that was built in 1991 on part of the
parish's 9-acre land parcel.
With a seating capacity of 600, the church boasts of oak pews, a large anterior gathering area, an altar made of a single 3,000-pound slab of verde green granite,
daily Mass chapel, chandeliers in the shape of a cross and a computerized lighting system with the ability to adjust to eight different light levels for various liturgical
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events.
St. Mark was the author of the second book in the Bible's New Testament. He and his mother were highly regarded in the
early church. His mother's house in Jerusalem served as a meeting place for Christians there. Mark was converted by Peter and accompanied him to Rome acting as his interpreter. The Romans asked Mark to put in
writing the accounts of Peter's talks on Jesus' life. St. Mark did this under Peter's direction before 60 A.D. Therefore, the first gospel written is a record of Jesus' life through the experiences of St. Peter.
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