Welcome from the Rector

Father Paul Lillie, Rector

Aloha on behalf of the people of St. Mark's. Welcome to our website, and we look forwarding to welcoming you in person at our church.

A generous 'ohana, St. Mark's is a growing church within the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i, and we enjoy celebrating our Anglo-Catholic heritage and our Hawaiian mission roots.  The patron of St. Mark's is Queen Emma, the wife of King Kamehameha IV. The Holy Sovereigns invited the Church of England to the Hawaiian Islands, and Queen Emma is known for her many works of support and advocacy for the poor and sick. She died on St. Mark's Day, April 25, in 1885.

We are a diverse parish, representing the many different peoples of O'ahu. It is our faith in Jesus Christ, expressed through our Anglo-Catholic spirituality, which unites us.  When we come together for the Eucharist, we become one in Christ. Since 1908 St. Mark's has been ministering the love of Christ to the neighborhoods of Kapahulu and Diamond Head in Honolulu. We also now serve the neighborhood of Waikiki, and on a typical Sunday, tourists and seasonal visitors worship with us too.

Whether you are new to the church, local, or visiting, please join us.

Father Paul Lillie
Rector, St. Mark's Episcopal Church

 

News from the Rector

Rector's Journal
From the Rector: Fall Study Opportunities
From the Rector: Fall Study Opportunities

This fall St. Mark's will host two studies that will be conducted online. The first study, named Colloquy Online, spans the year, meeting once every two months on Wednesdays. Each session will focus on a single book, with the year spanning many theological topics from a diversity of authors. The first online gathering is on Wednesday, September 10, at 7:00 pm, and the focus is the Nicene Creed, as we are celebrating the 1700th anniversary of this creed during 2025.

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From the Rector: Liturgical Feasts and God's Justice
From the Rector: Liturgical Feasts and God's Justice

Because Easter was late this year, Corpus Christi comes late this year, and as a result we have a number of high holy days that are celebrated in close proximity. The celebrations of Corpus Christi begin tomorrow, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist arrives on Tuesday, the Feast of the Sacred Heart arrives June 27, and then two days later the great holy day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is celebrated on June 29. This is four solemnities in two weeks. The challenge is giving all four of these feasts their proper place, as each teaches the faith in a unique way.

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From the Rector: Pentecost, Processions, and Prayer
From the Rector: Pentecost, Processions, and Prayer

This Sunday we celebrate the fiftieth day after Easter, the Feast of Pentecost. The vestments change from white to red, the color of the Holy Spirit, and many St. Markers will wear red this weekend. Pentecost is a feast of incredibly high prominence, second only to Easter Day.

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From the Rector: Ascension Thoughts
From the Rector: Ascension Thoughts

I am writing this on the Eve of the Ascension having just prayed First Vespers privately, and my thoughts are consumed with the blessings brought about by the daily mass at St. Mark’s. We are fortunate that for this great feast forty days after the resurrection, our church will celebrate a Low Mass at 12:00 noon, Vespers at 6:30 pm, and a High Mass with Procession at 7:00 pm. As is the case every weekday, Matins and Lauds will be prayed online at 9:00 am.

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From the Rector: The Vigil of Pentecost
From the Rector: The Vigil of Pentecost

With the arrival of the Fourth Sunday of Easter this Sunday, we will be half-way through the fifty days of Eastertide. Ascension Thursday is May 29 this year, forty days after Easter, and the joyful conclusion of Easter is the Feast of Pentecost on June 8, fifty days after Easter.

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From the Rector: People of the Resurrection
From the Rector: People of the Resurrection

Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia! I want to express my gratitude for the dedication and hard work of so many people that made this recent Holy Week a deeply religious celebration. Thanks are due to the acolytes, servers, ushers, musicians, worship guilds, and hospitality ministers. I hope that everyone’s faith was enriched by the liturgies we enacted together in honor of our Lord’s death and resurrection.

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