It may be a quiet day in the Church, but it is anything but quiet in a parish.
Preparations are underway all over world for the Easter Vigil tonight. Pray for parishes across the world as they prepare to proclaim the Resurrection.
Thank you to the Daughters of the Virgin Mother, St. Joseph Seminary, our clergy, and the many volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly today to transform our church, parish hall, and Christ the King High School for Easter.
Easter Vigil: 8:30 pm
Easter Sunday Mass Times
St. Mark Church: 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm (Spanish)
Christ the King Catholic High School: 10 am
Jesus Christ is King! More than 10,000 people came to worship Jesus in the Eucharist processing through the streets of Charlotte, NC.
This is the beauty of Catholicism. All people coming together, in community, as one body in Christ.
This is the hope of tomorrow. Wherever you are, find Christ, be Christ, and bring his hope to the world.
Viva Cristo Rey!
@charlottediocese
2025 Eucharistic Congress
Fr. John Putnam returns the Blessed Sacrament to the Adoration Chapel for perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.
It is reposed every year from Holy Thursday until Easter Monday.
Holy Spirit Come! Today, our second group of confirmandi received the Sacrament of Confirmation, bringing the total to 185 young people confirmed at St. Mark this spring.
Together with our First Holy Communicants, more than 400 youth have now received sacraments in recent weeks.
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you in a very powerful way. You are strengthened, you are sent, and you are loved.” — Fr. John, 5/16/26
Come, Holy Spirit, renew the face of the earth.
TGIF: Thank God for quiet corners that hold so much history, prayer, and love.
Some places on our campus are easy to miss if you are hurrying to Mass or heading to the parish office. But tucked beside the Adoration Chapel is a small Marian garden that has become a place of prayer, beauty, memory, and peace for generations of parishioners.
This statue of Our Blessed Mother was the very first statue donated to St. Mark. Long before our parish had a permanent church building, before the piazza and the gardens, before Perpetual Adoration, parishioners were already preparing a place for Mary near her Son.
Today we are grateful not only for the statue itself, but for the faith of the parishioners who loved this parish enough to preserve its story and care for it through the years.
Mary's Garden: St. Mark's First Statue
The grounds of St. Mark Church are blessed with beautiful statuary. Coming down the main driveway everyone is greeted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On the piazza are The Immaculate Conception, her spouse St. Joseph, a rendition of the Pieta and St. Francis holding a bowl full of water for passing birds. Each gives parishioners and visitors a serene reminder of the steadfast beauty of the Catholic faith.
Tucked away outside the adoration chapel sits the dense, carefully maintained foliage of Mary’s Garden. Presiding over the garden is a three foot tall statue of the Blessed Mother as the Immaculate Conception. The first statue ever donated to the parish, she stands quietly along the footpath that winds through the garden.
Flowers in vases are often placed at her feet, especially during her month of May. Around her neck are rosaries, the prayer dedicated to her by St. Dominic. Usually a delicate crown of flowers can be found on her head.
The statue has an interesting history that goes back to the late 1980’s. It was originally purchased by a couple who were members of Our Lady of Assumption Church on Shamrock… continued in comments:
My pastor, Fr. John Putnam, might not be a priest today if it were not for a visit to Fatima as a seminarian. Today he has a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and has visited the site of the apparitions 30 times. I couldn't think of a better person to come on and discuss the significance of Our Lady of Fatima for her feast day.
The episode is out now. Comment FATIMA and we will send you the link!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
To Jesus through Mary… By placing a crown upon the head of an image of our Blessed Mother, we continue a tradition that dates back to the 13th century, celebrating the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven.
When we place a crown of blossoms upon her statue, we seek her intercession, trusting in her powerful advocacy before the throne of God. As our loving Mother, Mary is always ready to bring our needs and petitions to her Son, Jesus.
Thank you go the many parish ministries and groups who continue this tradition each year. We don’t have photos of them all but we know St. Mark School, St. Mark Preschool, Mary’s Women of Joy, Fidelis, St. Mark Homeschool, and the Hispanic Ministry have all crowned an image of Mary this year.
Let us join together in asking our Heavenly Mother for her prayerful intercessions — today and everyday — that she may guide us, strengthen our faith, and fill our hearts with peace and hope.
May her example inspire us to live with humility, love, and faithfulness, drawing ever closer to Christ.
A visit to Fatima changed the course of Fr. John Putnam’s life forever.
In this episode, Fr. Putnam shares how the apparitions at Fatima deepened his vocation, why the Miracle of the Sun still astonishes the world, and why Our Lady’s warnings about marriage, family, penance, and spiritual battle are more urgent than ever.
From the terrifying vision of hell shown to the shepherd children to the prophetic warning that the final battle would be over marriage and the family—this conversation is one you won’t forget.
Comment FATIMA and we’ll send you the link. 👇
Fr. John recently joined The Conor Gallagher Show to reflect on Fatima, the Rosary, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the message Our Lady brought to the world through three shepherd children in 1917.
He also shares how a pilgrimage to Fatima during seminary became a pivotal moment in his own vocation story, and why he has returned there more than 30 times.
“The point of Fatima was not fear. It was salvation.”
Watch: (link in story)
https://youtu.be/QQOkU3PoI5g?si=bNpUEX02cciglJsR
Here they are! More than 200 children at St. Mark received their First Holy Communion over the past few weeks. What a beautiful celebration for our parish and these families.
In his homilies, Fr. John reminded them that in the Eucharist, they are receiving Jesus Himself and becoming “living tabernacles,” carrying His presence out into the world.
Congratulations to all of our First Communicants and their families. Please continue to pray for these children as they continue growing in their life with Christ.
Thank you to our clergy, catechists, Faith Formation Department, and especially Maddie Torres, coordinator of our sacramental programs, for the many months of preparation, prayer, and care that helped make these celebrations possible.
Saturday, we celebrated the third and final First Holy Communion Mass of the season, with more than 200 children receiving Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time across all three celebrations.
In his homily, Fr. John reminded the children that Holy Communion is not simply something we receive, but Someone. Jesus gives Himself completely to us in the Eucharist and remains truly present with us.
He spoke about the beauty of becoming a “living tabernacle,” carrying Christ within us after receiving Holy Communion, and encouraged the children to spend those first quiet moments after Communion speaking to Jesus heart to heart.
He also reminded families that faith is lived first at home: praying together, coming to Mass together, going to confession, and teaching children by example what it means to follow Christ.
What a beautiful day for our parish and for these families. Please continue to pray for all of our First Communicants, that their love for Jesus in the Eucharist will continue to grow throughout their lives. 🙏🏻
