Saint Mark’s is celebrating our 75th anniversary as a congregation in 2026. We have many events planned throughout the year to celebrate the history and the future of Saint Mark’s.
All of these will require people to help with planning and carrying out the activities.
You can sign up to help with planning one or more of these events and activities here.
We kick off with an organ recital on Sunday, February 15. Michael Schreffler will offer a variety of organ pieces beginning at 4 p.m. A reception will follow. See the program here.
On May 7, 1951, the Convention of the Diocese of Southern Ohio accepted Saint Mark’s, then called the Tri-Village Episcopalians, as a Mission of the Diocese. This is the official creation of Saint Mark’s. The Sunday closest to this is May 10. We will have a Eucharistic Prayer written by the Youth Group at the 10:30 a.m. service and a 1950’s-themed coffee hour. We aren’t having a big party that day because it is Mother’s Day.
Sunday May 24 is Pentecost, which is considered the birthday of the church because it marks the day when the apostles started spreading the message of Jesus. We will ramp up our traditional Pentecost Picnic to a birthday party for Saint Mark’s.
We are having a float in Upper Arlington’s Fourth of July parade in honor of our 75th anniversary. It will be a special parade because it is also the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The first service of Saint Mark’s was on September 9, 1951. The Sunday closest to that is September 13. Children’s Formation will have a time capsule that we will bury and we will have a Fall Kick-Off party. We will also premiere an anthem for the Canterbury Choir as well as a hymn both commissioned in honor of Saint Mark’s 75th Anniversary at that service.
On Sunday, October 4, at 4 p.m. we will have a special choral evensong. We have commissioned an evensong setting and canticles in celebration of the 75th anniversary; this service will be the world premiere of those. Bishop White will be the officiant of the service. A special reception will follow.
Sunday, November 1, is All Saints’ Day. We remember those who have gone before us. Sunday morning services and evensong will focus on the founders and other pillars of the congregation.
In addition to these events. We are planning on working on a few other things.
We have commissioned anthems for the Saint Mark’s Choir and the Canterbury Choir and a hymn in honor of the 75th anniversary.
In the deed to the property of Saint Mark’s, there is a restrictive covenant that prohibits selling the property to African Americans or allowing African Americans to live on the property. While this covenant is no longer enforceable, we would like to have it removed. Also, we will honor Pleasant Litchford, one of the early owners of the property that Saint Mark’s is on. Pleasant Litchford was a former slave who bought land in what is now Upper Arlington and built one of the first African American communities in central Ohio.
We are going to update the hall of history near the nursery; we have two blank posters in that wall and will add to one of them.
We are working on an oral-history project focusing on the last 25 years.
Please join us in celebrating the past 75 years of Saint Mark’s and helping us get ready for the next 75 years.