Dear Friends of St. Mark’s,
Last Thursday the Vestry had our final meeting of 2025, and at the meeting we adopted the budget for 2026. The Vestry will share the budget and other reports at the 2026 Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 18. After High Mass, lunch will be served, and the meeting will be called to order at 12:45 noon. Please mark your calendar, because in addition to electing Vestry members, we will also be electing diocesan delegates. In 2026 there will be two diocesan conventions. The special convention to elect a new bishop is Saturday, May 19, and the regular convention of the diocese is Saturday, October 17. Both conventions will be at Iolani School. Next year’s diocesan delegates have double duty.
2026 is going to be a busy year. Holy Week arrives early with Palm Sunday on March 29, ending with Easter Day on April 5. Right after Easter Day, our pilgrimage to Sicily, Rome, and Assisi departs, and we have over 30 parishioners and friends traveling with St. Mark’s. When we return, the Patronal Feast of St. Mark awaits us on Sunday, April 26.
Five Rector’s Forums are scheduled during the months of February and March. These forums are especially pertinent for the pilgrimage, but also edifying for all of the parish. The first two forums on Sundays, January 25 and February 8, will focus on Saint Francis and Saint Clare, and how they have been represented throughout time in art and theology. Using the large screens in the Parish Hall, I will share a variety of artistic works of these two great saints.
The remaining three forums are scheduled for the Second, Third, and Fourth Sundays in Lent, March 1, 8, and 15. These three forums will focus on the church in Rome, exploring the history of the early church, the catacombs, and the great basilicas.
On the immediate horizon, we have the Incarnation cycle of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany to enjoy. High masses are scheduled for the Immaculate Conception BVM, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, the Octave of Christmas (New Year’s Day), Epiphany Sunday, and Candlemas. This year for Candlemas we are planning an outdoor procession with candles in the neighborhood on Saturday, January 31. The complete schedule of Incarnation feasts will be announced in the near future.
However, before Advent arrives on November 30, we have an important final week to observe. This Sunday, November 23, we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King in concert with the Feast of the Holy Sovereigns, Kamehameha IV and Emma. High Mass will begin with a Procession within the church and end with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, completing the church year with a liturgical bang. The actual feast day of the Holy Sovereigns is Friday, November 28, when low mass will be offered at 12:00 noon in the St. Mary Chapel. The day prior, Thanksgiving Day, low mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am. On the Eve of Advent, Saturday, November 29, we will have the joy of celebrating Baptisms at the 5:00 pm Vigil Mass.
Father Paul Lillie +
