St. Mark Church sits on a quiet residential lane in the Garden City section of Cranston, Rhode Island, a parish of more than 1,700 families where Sunday Mass is celebrated beneath a pitched roof installed in 1990, in a worship space that for its first thirty-eight years was entirely underground.
From a Garden City Basement Church to More Than 1,700 Families
The story of St. Mark Church begins with a curate, a bishop, and a growing corner of Cranston. Before 1950, Catholics in the Garden City section of Cranston belonged to St. Matthew Parish. As the population swelled, Bishop Russell J. McVinney of the Diocese of Providence asked Father John C. Ells, then a curate at St. Matthew, to survey boundaries for a new parish. Wanting to protect the parish he served, Father Ells reported that Pontiac Avenue would be a fair dividing line, surrendering as few existing parishioners as possible.
In the fall of 1950 Bishop McVinney announced the establishment of St. Mark Parish, and to Father Ells's surprise appointed him its first pastor on October 10, 1950. The new parish embraced Eden Park, Pettaconsett, Garden City, and Dean Estates, and began with about 325 families. On October 24, 1950, Bishop McVinney, Monsignor Peter E. Blessing, Father Ells, Francis A. Holland, and Charles R. Capace incorporated as Saint Mark's Church Corporation of Cranston. Father Ells was authorized to borrow up to $170,000 to purchase land and build.
The land was donated by Nazzareno and Susie Melocarro. On January 18, 1952, the basement church and rectory were dedicated. At dedication the parish debt stood at $210,799; in less than seven years it was repaid in full.
In 1957 Bishop McVinney approved plans for a parish school and convent. Both were dedicated on Palm Sunday 1961, with Sister Mary Patricius McNulty, R.S.M., as first principal. She and the Sisters of Mercy staffed the school for many years. In 1971 the parish leased the building to the Cranston-Johnston Catholic Regional School Board for one dollar a year; that school eventually closed in October 2009 when diocesan officials determined the cost of bringing the building up to code was too high.
Father Ells retired in 1972, and Father William Lawless took over. He liquidated a $157,000 parish debt through interest-free loans from 157 families, and the parish has been debt-free ever since. Father Lawless dreamed of bringing the basement church above ground, but the school and convent took precedence. He retired in 1982 and died in December 1985; Father Joseph P. Heaney became the third pastor.
For thirty-eight years, parishioners gathered in the underground worship space while awaiting the day they could finish the church. Father Heaney called on the Finance Council to study how to realize that long-held dream. Estimates for an entirely new building started at $105 million and climbed out of reach. Working with O'Hearn Associates of Woonsocket, the parish instead chose a creative renovation: removing the existing ceilings, adding a pitched roof, and creating a new plaza at the main entrance. Parishioners and friends responded generously, and far more was accomplished than originally planned. Bishop Louis E. Gelineau formally dedicated the renovated church on September 29, 1990.
Father Heaney retired in 1991, and Father Richard A. Donnelly was appointed the fourth pastor on June 20, 1991. During his tenure the parish raised $510,112 for the Diocesan Vision of Hope Campaign, established the St. Mark Endowment Fund with the Catholic Foundation of Rhode Island in 1995, and oversaw the conversion of the former convent (after the Sisters of Mercy withdrew in 1995) into a religious education center and classrooms for the new Cranston-Johnston Catholic Regional School. In 1998 a new granite floor was installed. Bishop Robert J. McManus celebrated the parish's Golden Jubilee on September 24, 2000. Father Donnelly retired June 30, 2005 due to illness and died on May 21, 2008.
Father Anthony W. Verdelotti was appointed the fifth pastor on July 1, 2005, with Bishop Thomas J. Tobin celebrating his installation on August 21, 2005. He relocated the parish office, renovated the rectory, and created individual classrooms on the second floor of what is now the Mother Cabrini Parish Center. New front doors, donated by John Paterra in memory of his wife Barbara H. Paterra, were dedicated at a memorial Mass on March 12, 2006. In August 2007 an organ relocation and the creation of a candle room were completed, and Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez, Archbishop Emeritus of San Juan, blessed the candle room on August 19, 2007.
What began as 350 families in 1950 has grown into a thriving parish community of more than 1,700 families today.
Mass and Reconciliation Around the Week
St. Mark offers three weekend Masses and weekday Mass on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. Weekend Masses are celebrated on Saturday at 4:00 P.M. (the Vigil Mass) and on Sunday at 8:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. Daily Mass is held Monday through Wednesday at 8:00 A.M. Reconciliation is heard each Saturday afternoon at 3:00 P.M., one hour before the Vigil Mass.
The church is open for private prayer from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Visitors who enter in those hours find votive candles, statues, and devotional images in the candle room, with a suggested offering of $2.00 per candle; candles burn for about a day and a half.
Lay Ministries at the Altar
Sunday Mass at St. Mark depends on dozens of lay volunteers who assist the priests in carefully defined roles.
Altar Servers are boys and girls from third grade and up who assist the priest at Mass, weddings, funerals, holy days, Holy Hours, Stations of the Cross, prayer services, and penance services. Servers carry the processional cross and candles, bring the Roman Missal to the priest, help set and clear the altar, and ring the altar bells. Training is held twice a year, in May and October, and consists of four two-hour evening sessions. As Cardinal Bernard Griffin once wrote, "Those sacred ceremonies should be carried out with devotion, dignity, and attention to detail."
Readers (lectors) proclaim the Scripture readings at Mass and other services. The ministry is open to practicing Catholics age 16 and older who meet the requirements of the parish and the Diocese of Providence.
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest and deacon in distributing Holy Communion at Mass and in bringing it to the sick and homebound. Ministers must be practicing Catholics aged 16 or older who have been nominated by the pastor and appointed by the bishop.
The Music Ministry is led by organist and choir director Ron Almeida. The all-volunteer choir sings at the 4:00 P.M. Saturday Vigil Mass, with weekly rehearsals on Thursday evenings at 6:30 P.M. in the Mother Cabrini Parish Center. Volunteer instrumentalists serve at Christmas, Palm Sunday, the Solemn Paschal Triduum, Corpus Christi, and other major feasts.
Ushers round out the team of liturgical ministers needed for each celebration, while the Church Decorating Committee prepares the worship space for Christmas and Easter, and the Event Planning Committee coordinates social gatherings throughout the year.
Faith Formation from First Grade to Adult
The Religious Education Program assists parents of students in grades 1 through 9 in the religious formation of their children. The parish teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children; systematic classroom instruction supplements what is taught at home. The goal is for every student to grow in knowledge, understanding, and love of the Catholic faith.
Catechists lead each grade through the year, with Confirmation preparation set aside for Grade 9. Confirmation preparation includes a sponsor relationship, a service project proposal and reflection, a saint report, and a letter to the Bishop. The Religious Education Coordinator, Claudia Jackvony, organizes orientations for students, parents, and catechists each fall.
Adult Faith Formation offers periodic programs for adults seeking to deepen their Catholic faith, learn how to explain Catholic teaching to family or friends who have drifted, or share faith with other parishioners.
For non-Catholics, those who have stopped practicing, and those preparing for full communion with the Church, the parish offers the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) - a communal journey for formal initiation into the Church that mirrors the formation of the earliest Christians in the first and second centuries. Returning Catholics are warmly welcomed back into active sacramental and parish life.
The Seven Sacraments in Parish Life
Baptism is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month, usually after the 10:00 A.M. Mass. Parents contact Sister Angelina Giramma before the birth of the child to schedule. The Church's canonical requirements for godparents call for one Catholic sponsor who has been confirmed, is at least 16 years of age, is not the parent of the child, and lives a life in harmony with the Catholic faith. Customarily two godparents of different sexes are chosen, one godfather and one godmother, but only one is required. A baptismal preparation program is required for parents and godparents. There is no set fee, though a free-will offering of $25 to $50 is suggested, and the parish provides the white garment and baptismal candle.
Confirmation preparation takes place in Grade 9 and culminates when the bishop anoints candidates with chrism oil. Through Confirmation, baptized Catholics receive a fuller outpouring of the Holy Spirit and commit to being witnesses of the Christian faith in word and deed.
The Eucharist is at the center of parish life. Each weekend and weekday Mass invites the assembled community to share in the Body and Blood of Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.
Penance (Reconciliation) is heard each Saturday at 3:00 P.M., with the four-part structure of contrition, confession of sins, absolution by the priest, and a renewed commitment to Christian life.
Matrimony is prepared in conversation with the parish, and the church is a frequent venue for weddings served by the parish's altar servers.
Anointing of the Sick is available to those preparing for surgery, the elderly, and the seriously ill. The sacrament unites the sufferer more closely to the passion of Christ for the good of the whole Church.
Holy Orders and religious vocations are supported through prayer, discernment, and a parish culture that invites young people to consider priesthood and consecrated life.
Funerals Rooted in the Resurrection
The Catholic funeral liturgy offers comfort to the mourning and prayers for the deceased. As the Order of Christian Funerals puts it, "Though separated from the living, the dead are still at one with the community of believers on earth and benefit from their prayers and intercessions."
Families typically begin by choosing a mortuary, which coordinates with the parish and cemetery. Sister Angelina Giramma follows up to plan the Funeral Mass. Eulogies are not permitted during the Mass itself; personal reflections on the life of the deceased are reserved for the wake, committal, or collation.
Music at a Funeral Mass must be sacred and liturgically appropriate; recorded music is not permitted. There is a hymn list available for families to choose from, along with biblical readings. Readers must be practicing Catholics in good standing who can proclaim the Word effectively. Where no family member is chosen, the parish provides a reader.
The parish collaborates with the Diocese of Providence Office of Catholic Cemeteries and offers guidance for families asking about cremation in line with Church teaching.
Reaching Out: SVDP, the Knights, and the Homebound
St. Mark's outreach ministry is anchored by three long-standing Catholic organizations.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mark Conference is part of an international Catholic lay charity that has been serving Rhode Islanders since 1858. Members visit the homes of those in need, providing food, clothing, and financial help with housing, utilities, and medicine, as well as Christian friendship and confidential support. The St. Mark Conference has visited the homes of more than 60 people and provided over $8,000 in emergency assistance in a recent stretch. Members meet twice a month on Thursday evenings and welcome volunteers for home visitations and case support.
The Knights of Columbus, Rev. Richard A. Donnelly Council #322 brings together Catholic men age 18 and above in the fraternal service organization founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882. The council meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 P.M. in the Mother Cabrini Parish Center, supporting vocations, parish functions, and Knights of Columbus charities.
The Knights of Columbus, Arthur S. Rebello Assembly #2808 is the parish's Fourth Degree assembly, drawing together the local council and many from neighboring councils. Its members wear the distinctive chapeau, cape, and sword regalia for civic events, parades, and ecclesiastical functions, including Color Corps honors at clergy funerals. The assembly meets on the third Monday of every month.
The Ministry to the Homebound provides regular pastoral visits and the reception of Holy Communion to parishioners no longer able to leave their homes. Trained ministers are matched with the homebound for visits arranged at mutual convenience. Sister Angelina Giramma oversees this ministry. As Cardinal Terrence Cooke once observed, "The gift of life, God's special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger, loneliness, or old age."
The parish also proclaims a strong pro-life witness, holding that all human life has inestimable value from conception to natural death.
The Building on Garden Court
The parish's main campus sits around Garden Court and Poplar Drive. The church itself, located at 15 Garden Court, is the building that grew out of the 1990 renovation. Handicapped parking is on Poplar Drive, with a ramp to the main doors and a designated wheelchair area on the front east side. Accessible restrooms are on the front west side.
Inside the main foyer, families with young children find a Cry Room reserved for use during Mass. A Philips FRx Automated External Defibrillator is mounted on the wall for emergencies. Yellow Poor Box envelopes are available at the doors for donations to help the poor.
The original 1960 convent, built under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C., is now the Mother Cabrini Parish Center at 31 Poplar Drive, housing the parish office, religious education classrooms, and parish meeting spaces. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Another defibrillator is mounted on the right side wall at the end of the main hallway.
The rectory at 9 Garden Court remains a private residence and serves as the parish mailing address.
Pastoral Leadership
Father Timothy Reilly serves as pastor of St. Mark Church. He is supported by a team of lay and religious leaders:
- Sister Angelina Giramma, M.P.F., Parish Outreach Coordinator, leads Baptism preparation, ministry to the homebound, funeral planning, and the St. Vincent de Paul Conference.
- Claudia Jackvony, Religious Education Coordinator, oversees faith formation for students in grades 1 through 9 and Confirmation preparation.
- Andrew Pappas, Parish Liturgy Coordinator, trains and supports lay liturgical ministers and assists the pastor in preparing parish liturgical celebrations.
- Ron Almeida, Music Director, leads the choir and serves as organist.
The parish shares its life with the Diocese of Providence and the universal Church, in communion with the Bishop of Rome.
What Catholics Believe
St. Mark teaches the fullness of the Roman Catholic faith as handed down for two thousand years from the Apostles. Catholics recite the Nicene Creed at every Sunday Mass, affirming belief in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in the incarnate Son who suffered, died, and rose again; in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church; in the forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead.
The Mass, the central act of Catholic worship, centers on the Eucharist. Catholics believe that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine through what the Church calls transubstantiation. The Mass is divided into the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The seven sacraments mark the milestones of Catholic life: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Catholics follow the Ten Commandments and the two greatest commandments, love of God and love of neighbor, and embrace the eight Beatitudes, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the four cardinal and three theological virtues, and the seven corporal and seven spiritual Works of Mercy. The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, led by the Pope, the successor of Peter, in communion with the bishops of the world.