History of Parish

St. Mark Catholic Church was formally established on July 16, 1976 when Fr. Frank Moeslein was appointed the first pastor of St. Mark and the administrator of St. Therese Catholic Church in Wrightsville Beach.

St. Therese Catholic Church was built in 1934 to serve 60 families. By 1976, the parish had grown to nearly 300 families! The need for a new, bigger space was apparent, and former pastors of St. Therese began drafting plans for a new parish to accommodate the growing Catholic population in the Wilmington area. Rev. Raymond J. Donohue assisted the Diocese of Raleigh in acquiring land in Windemere for the church property, and Msgr. Louis E. Morton in assembling preliminary plans for the physical building.

The building campaign was launched successfully in October 1976 and the groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 12, 1977. The first rectory was also bought in June 1977 at 145 Tanbridge Road. During the construction of the original church, which was the Parish Hall, Masses were held at the Episcopal Church of the Servant and faith formation classes held at Windemere Presbyterian Church. 

The new Parish Hall and education wing were dedicated on October 1, 1978. Presiding over the dedication was the Most Rev. F. Joseph Gossman, Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh, and Bishop Michael J. Begley of Charlotte was the homilist. 

In 1991, an extension of the education wing was added, which is now used for offices, meeting spaces, and educational rooms.

Five years later, in January 1996, a new sanctuary and chapel, which is the location of the current church, were built and dedicated to accommodate over 2,500 families. Bishop Gossman returned to St. Mark to preside over the Mass and bless and dedicate the new altar in the sanctuary. 

St. Mark's mission parish, Christ the King Church, in Riegelwood, NC, was established in 1999. Today, Christ the King serves over 30 families who are primarily Spanish-speaking. 

Construction on the columbarium, which is located right outside the chapel, was completed in 2013. Also, in 2013, the Parish Hall, which became a social hall for parish events, was updated with new flooring, acoustics, audio/visual equipment, and lighting.

More recently, a new rectory was purchased in 2021, and two educational rooms and a kitchenette were added to the library space in 2022 to create additional meeting spaces for our ministries and groups.

During the mid-1990s, the St. Mark community felt the call to build a Catholic school. In April 2001, after a strong Capital Campaign that raised over $2 million, they held a groundbreaking ceremony and construction began on the property. In the fall of 2002, St. Mark Catholic School opened its doors offering catholic education for students in kindergarten to 6th grade. Over time, enrollment increased and the school began adding grades, including Pre-K, until the first 8th grade class graduated in 2005.

In 2012, the Our Lady of Victory Center, also known as the school gym, and additional classrooms were added onto the school. St. Mark Catholic School is now home to more than 500 students and 50 staff members and teachers. 

Today, St. Mark Catholic Church & School continues to be a vibrant and growing community with 3,000 registered families, 30+ active ministries, a school at capacity, and several faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults! It is our mission to continue inviting, inspiring, educating, and leading people to know and love Jesus Christ!