SUNDAY PRE-SCHOOL PROGRAM: This program is designed for 3 and 4 year-olds and meets during the 9:00 a.m. Liturgy in St. Mark School. These classes provide a unique way of assisting the spiritual development of each pre-school child. The children are given the opportunity to experience caring, sharing and loving, through fun and active Bible-based lessons, prayer, music and crafts. The foundations of our Catholic Faith begin to take root in these young children as they are introduced to the unconditional love of God, His most precious gift to us, our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the beauty of all His creation. To enroll your child or children in this wonderful program, please contact the Office of Religious Education at 410-744-6560, ext. 224.

THE TRADITIONAL PROGRAM: This program meets Tuesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., September to April in St. Mark School. Weekly classes encourage a fun learning environment where the children are both encouraged and challenged to make decisions that bring them closer to Jesus, treat others with love and respect, to become excited about their faith, and bring the light of Christ to the world. The Traditional Program has been designed to help parents, the children’s principal teachers, in the important tasks of passing on the Catholic Faith. To enroll your child or children in this wonderful program, please call the Office of Religious Education at 410-744-6560, ext. 224.

THE FAMILY PROGRAM: Our mission is to educate, enrich and inspire the faith journey of families while fostering a sense of community guided by Christ. This program meets one Sunday a month after the 9:00 a.m. Liturgy (at about 10:30 a.m.) in St. Mark School. This program is designed to educate, enrich, and assist in the development of faith and spirituality in families who would like to share in their Catholic formation together or introduce other members of the family to the Catholic faith. To enroll you, your child or children or the entire family in this wonderful program, please contact the Office of Religious Education at 410-744-6560, ext. 224.

RCIA/RCIC: The RCIA is a process by which adults are welcomed and initiated into the Catholic Church. Our RCIA process occurs annually, usually beginning in September and concluding the following May. The RCIC is a specialized process by which children age 7 and older who are not baptized, baptized in another Christian denomination who parents now wish to raise them as Catholics, or children baptized Catholic without any formal religious education are welcome an initiated in to the Catholic Church. If interested in joining the Catholic Church, please contact Mrs. Anne Kidwell, Director of Religious Education, in the Religious Education Office at 410-744-6560, ext. 224.

SACRAMENTAL PREPARATION: Sacramental preparation allows individuals of faith with opportunities of remote and immediate catechesis for the reception of the sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, Matrimony, and Adult Confirmation to help people focus on the meaning of the sacrament and their readiness for celebration. The Sacramental life of our parish is our deepest expression of who we are. All sacraments are community celebrations of our encounters with the risen Lord in the most important moments of our lives. Since sacraments are so important to us as Catholic Christians, we take them very seriously and prepare to receive them carefully.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Vacation Bible School (also known as VBS) is a week-long summer examination program of Bible truths, consisting of a variety of hands-on theme activities, prayer, songs, Bible stories, crafts, games, skits, music, snacks, play, and much more that come together to create the background for a week of learning about service to family, friends, neighbor, community and JESUS. VBS combines the gifts and talents of dedicated adults and teens to provide an active, interactive Bible study experience of faith, friends, and fun for children 4 years of age through 5th grade during one week in July. For more information or how to register or volunteer to help, please contact the Religious Education Office at 410-744-6560, ext. 224.

CHILDREN’S LITURGY OF THE WORD: The Children’s Liturgy of the Word is a special celebration which enables the young people of our faith community to hear and celebrate the Word of God and is held during the Liturgy of the Word at the 9:00 a.m. Mass in Saint Mark Church and offers children ages 5 years old – 5th grade activities and reflections based on the Sunday readings at their age level. The Sunday scripture readings are especially prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and approved for children. (Note: This does not replace a child’s regular Religious Education classes.) Please contact the Office of Religious Education at 410-744-6560, ext. 224 for more details.

BOOK CLUB: The St. Mark Book Club reads a variety of different genres. The Club meets one evening per month from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Parish Community Center to discuss the book of the month. There is no need to register for the Book Club, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to be a part of this ministry. Bring a friend!

SPONSOR COUPLE: This ministry is intended for couples married in the Catholic Church who are willing to be “sponsors” to engaged couples who will be married at St. Mark Church to share their own experience of Christian marriage to engaged couples as part of their preparation for marriage. There is no age or length of marriage requirement for sponsor couples. Remarried and interfaith couples are welcome. Married couples take part in a 6-hour training course — two 3-hour sessions, scheduled one or two weeks apart. Once trained, the sponsor couple and engaged couple work together in the sponsor couple’s home for several sessions (usually 5) to develop the engaged couple’s understanding of Christian marriage and increase their awareness of each other’s values and attitudes.