Father Mark is a home town native: born and raised in Bethel Park he received all of his sacraments at Saint Valentine Parish and attended Saint Valentine School. Father Mark attended high school at South Hills Catholic (now Seton-LaSalle HS) and entered the seminary in the fall of 1977. Father Mark attended Saint Paul Seminary in Crafton while earning his BS at Duquesne University and attended Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe for his Masters in Divinity. Most of Father Mark’s priestly assignments have been in the South Hills. For the past seven years, Father Mark has served as the Episcopal Vicar for Clergy Personnel.
Father Mark is the youngest of four children, his parents, Frank and Clarissa, as well as his oldest sister, Mary and brother, Frank have passed away. His sister, Margaret (Peggy) lives in the family house with her husband Tony Mannella, where Father Mark can always get a good meal! Except for liver and onions, raw cauliflower and green/red/yellow peppers, Fr. Mark eats anything!
In his down time, Father Mark likes to take photos, especially of mountains that he likes to hike. Father Mark downhill skis in the winter months and is an avid reader of murder mysteries and suspense novels.
Father Mark is glad to be “back home” and is looking forward to meeting parishioners at both Saint John Capistran Parish and Saint Thomas More Parish and is looking forward to when we will be joined as one parish to give glory to God!