2 Corinthians 1:4ESV
Who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

The mission of the Pastoral Care Office/Ministry is to spread the reach and message of St. Mark’s services to each member in a personalized manner. We accomplish this daily by having regular pro-active contact with parishioners, St. Mark’s ministries, outside organizations, and of course the clergy. Our goals are simple but giant: we want to serve the community by connecting YOU with whatever service or need you have. Here are some of the things we’ve been quietly doing since our initial launch just 6 weeks ago:
· Setting up visits by our clergy:
o Home visits
o Hospital visits
o Emergency/Crisis situations
o Confessions
· Connecting members with the appropriate ministry or service within the church: Family ministry, Outreach, Mission Life Center
· Connecting our congregation with outside resources: government, special needs, hospice care, etc.
· Major Life Events: Baptism, Marriage, and other certificates/church coordination
We have also found that there are many dedicated members who use their talents to support the church and clergy by also visiting homes, hospitals, and other needs. In some situations, we have found this to be one of the most effective ways to deliver the needs of our community along side the clergy. This has been particularly helpful if someone has needs for an extended period of time, or if the clergy are not available due to travels or other obligations.
Everything we do is 100% confidential and is focused on serving you and your needs. If we don’t have a resource on hand, we will happily research and help you find the right solutions. Our hours are Tuesday – Friday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, but we monitor emails and voice mails around the clock, and will get back to all requests within 24 hours! There are several ways to contact us; phone: 703-591-4444 X 400, email: [email protected] or visit our page on the church website:

Q:What is the PCO and what does it do?

A: The PCO is a central location where congregation members, new comers, or anyone else can have one location to learn about St. Mark's, our ministries, and all we have to offer.

Q: How do people contact the PCO?

A: Currently anyone can contact the PCO by any of the following ways: emailing [email protected], calling our direct number (703) 825-1906, or simply using the contact form along the left side of this page.

Q: Why does St. Mark's need a PCO?

A: With so many people needing various services, this will allow the church to help meet their needs in a quick and efficient manner while allowing the clergy to put more of their time and effort into spiritual matters and needs of the congregation.

Q: Wait, don't our clergy already meet the various needs of the congregation?

A: Sort of, our clergy receive hundreds of phone calls, emails, text messages each day requesting their help for matters which could be better met by services already provided by the church or other local support organizations.

Q: Does this mean people can't get help from the priests any longer?

A: Not at all, the congregation will still be supported by the priests and will actually now have more focused attention from our clergy since they will be spending less time handling issues they don't have expertise in such as finding jobs, reviewing resumes, and other needs which are better provided by other services.

Q: Does the PCO offer a ministry or service directly?

A: Our service and goal is to connect those in need with the direct resources to have their needs met. In some cases that is a ministry or service offered directly by our church such as the Family Ministry and Social Services, in others it might be an outside resource such as a government office or telephone number.

Q: What are the hours for the PCO?

A: Currently we have limited hours of Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30-3:30, with after hours email responses. We hope to eventually staff the office from 9-5 weekdays and someone "on call" after hours.

Q: What does it cost to take advantage of the PCO?

A: There is no charge to contact or receive any services. In many cases we envision us just connecting those in need with the correct service or ministry already in place.