News of Prison Ministry…in 1984
It turns out St. Mark’s parishioners have been involved with prison ministry for many years. Reprinted in the …
St. Mark’s has a rich history, much of which is stuffed into boxes in a storage loft. As we sort through the boxes and organize the archives, we’re going to share bits and pieces of our history on this blog. Our hope is to dust off some memories so that the events, and more importantly the people, who built this congregation starting with that first meeting on Seale Street in 1948, will not be forgotten. We hope you will comment, share your own memories, correct any errors, and help us identify the people and events in the pictures we post.
- All
- 1948-1970
- 1971-1990
- Identify This Picture
- Memorials
- Stained Glass
- Then and Now
- Time Capsule
St. Elizabeth’s Guild
St. Elizabeth’s Guild is a long-time Episcopal ministry, traditionally for older women of the parish. In June of …
THe Ice Cream Social – 1978
This group of pictures from the archives is labeled “First Ice Cream Social in August of 1978.” The …
Canon West’s Departure
Although there’s almost no one at St. Mark’s left who remembers these events, the end of Canon West’s …
The St. Simon Window – Robert E. and Amy Bassett Clarke
the St. Simon window is located in the Gospel side of ST. Mark’s Church the window was given …
May 1981 – The Messenger
St. Mark’s was in the midst of the rummage sale, and parishioner Connie Bosza noted that it was …
St. Mark’s Hosts Teacher’s Dinner in 1952
St. Mark’s was proud to show off its newly completed Parish Hall to the Palo Alto community on …
Sunday School Buildings: Then and Now
The history of Sunday School at St. Mark’s almost more than anything else shows the changing demographics, and …
The Lost Flags
A church is like a family that has lived in one house for a long time. We have …
The 25th Anniversary Banners
St. Mark’s celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1973. One of the ways the church commemorated this occasion was …
St. Mark’s Sponsors a Dutch Family
In April of 1960, Canon West reported to the Vestry that plans were coming along well for the …
The Rummage Sale
The Rummage Sale was a time-honored (and much loved) fund-raising tradition at many churches and other bay area …
The St. Paul Window, Part 2 – John Winthrop and Florence Partridge Loveland
The St. Paul window is located in the Great West Wall at St. Mark’s The window was given …
The St. Paul Window, part 1 – Frank Spears and Jennie Dimmick Armstrong
The St. Paul window is located in the Great West Wall at St. Mark’s The window was given …
The Women’s Auxiliary
During the early years of St. Mark’s, the women’s group was one of the most powerful groups in …
Who Were the Markers?
The Markers were a social group that was founded very early in the life of the church. In …
The Chapel Vases – William and Mary Standen
This wasn’t the story I planned on writing this week, but I got an email that caught my …
Completion of the Main Church
An article in the Palo Alto Times on March 1, 1957 celebrated the completion of the construction of …
The Church Basement is Flooded!
This past week we’ve had serious flooding in the church basement. This has happened a few other times …
Holy Trinity Windows – Penelope R. Gros
The Holy Trinity windows are located in the Narthex at St. Mark’s The windows were given in memory …
Construction of the Church – 1956
Construction of the church at St. Mark’s began in the summer of 1956. Here are some great photos …
THe John the Baptist Window – Part 2
The John the Baptist window was given in memory of John Turnstall Handy and Lu Lawrence Corbett Handy. …
The John the Baptist Window- A Change of Plans, Part 1
The John the Baptist window is located in the Narthex at St. Mark. The window was given in …
Christ the King Window
The Christ the King Window is located in the choir loft on the west wall/old narthex at St. …
St. Mark’s Delegation Walks Out of Diocesan Convention
Yes, you read that correctly. On Tuesday, January 31st, 1961, Canon West (then Rector of St. Mark’s) and …
The Saint Phillip window – William John Law and Peter Gresham Law
The St. Phillip Window was located on the Gospel transcept at St. Mark’s. The window was given in …
Church Art
St. Mark’s has inspired many artists over the years. Here are a few pieces of art we’ve found …
THe 1979 Hallow Ritual to Consecrate the Church
On October 20 and 21st, 1979, St. Mark’s held a “Hallow Ritual” ceremony to celebrate the final payments …
Britten Bay Area Opera Premiere at St. Mark’s – 1967
In this case, the article in the Arts and Theater page of the Family Leisure section of the …
The Church Periodical Club
The 134 year old Church Periodical Club is a mission organization of the Episcopal Church. The CPC was: …
70 Years Ago – The Stats
The numbers in the Canonical Parish Register for 1952 give an idea as to just how explosive the …
The saint Augustine Window – John B. Kirk Jr.
The St. Augustine Window was located on the Gospel transcept at St. Mark’s and was relocated in 1996 …
The 7 Rectors of St. Mark’s
St. Mark’s has had seven Rectors in 75 years. Here’s a picture of each, the dates on which …
September, 1992 – The Messenger
In September of 1992, 30 years ago, St. Mark’s was gearing up for the fall with new programs …
Confirmation 1957
Here’s the confirmation class of 1957!! The confirmation took place at St. Mark’s on April 11th, 1957. Bishop …
Saint Marks Chapel Font – Tasker Oddie
The font in the Saint Mark’s Chapel was given in memory of a man who was exceedingly well …
THen and Now – Floods!
When it still rained in Palo Alto (ha!), there was regular, almost annual flooding near some of the …
The Saint Bartholomew Window – Major Bruce Robertson
The St. Bartholomew Window is located on the Gospel side aisle at St. Mark’s. The window was given …
The Beecher Chalice
There’s a very old chalice in the sacristy. The following note is rolled-up inside of the chalice: A …
Church Picnics
St. Mark’s has been celebrating every June with a church picnic for at least 50 years! The venue …
Raising the Steeple – 1957
Here’s another set of beautiful old slides we found. These ones are from the day the steeple was …
saint james window part two – Rev. Alan S. Hawkesworth
The St. James Window is located on the Epistle side aisle at St. Mark’s. The window was given …
Saint James Window part one – Randolph Skinner Elliot and Claire Chapman Elliot
The St. James Window is located on the Epistle side aisle at St. Mark’s The window was given …
The Theater Glass Window – given by Mary Rose
The Theater Glass window is located in the Vestry at St. Mark’s. The window was given by Mary …
1956 Church Dedication-ground breaking Revisited!!
While digging through the various boxes of donations in the church archives, we found a little envelope with …
April, 1981 – The Messenger
The Rector, Colin Campbell, announced that the newly remodeled office building had received a new name. A cardboard …
the St. Luke the Evangelist Window – Dr. Albert Markley Snell
The St. Luke the Evangelist Window was located in the Gospel side chapel at St. Mark’s. It was …
The Gregory the Great Window – Captain Edward Frederick “Ned” Palmer
The Gregory the Great Window was located in the Gospel side aisle at St. Mark’s. It is now …
St. James the Lesser and St. Thomas Windows – Dr. & Mrs. Francis B. Settle and Mr. & Mrs. Norman L. Dorn
The St. James the Lesser and St. Thomas windows are located in the Gospel side aisle at St. …
The Saint Marks Window – Aimee Belle Brenner
The St. Mark’s window is located in the St. Mark’s Chapel at St. Mark’s. The window was given …
The St. Jude and ST. Matthias windows – Gladys and Schuyler Van Rensselear Gros
The St. Jude and St. Matthias windows are located in the Epistle Aisle at St. Mark’s The windows …
Creation of All Souls Garden
The idea to create a burial garden at St. Mark’s first appears in the 1977 Vestry minutes and …
The Seven Branch candlesticks – The Merry Sisters
Mary Hill “May” Merry and Blanche Xavier Merry were two of the six daughters of Captain William Lawrence …
Then and Now – The Migrating Iron Gates
The entrances to St. Nicholas Chapel in the main sanctuary were originally gated with a wrought iron fence …
Annual Meetings
One tradition that St. Mark’s has maintained since 1948, is the Annual Meeting in January. During this meeting, …
Then and Now – The Back Parking Lot
St. Mark’s original property was quite a bit larger than it is now. In 1993, the church decided …
70 Years of the Christmas Pageant
Although many of our traditions have changed over time, the basics remain the same. Whether you call it …
St. Nicholas of Bari – Christian Carson and Hannah Gibson Lea Febiger
The St. Nicholas of Bari painting in the St. Nicholas Chapel is dedicated to the most distant ancestors …
The Samuel Window – CHarles G. Kellett, Kathryn Kellett, Charles Henry and Sarah Kellett, Brothers and sisters
The window was given in memory of Charles G. Kellett, Kathryn Kellett, Charles Henry and Sarah Kellett, and …
Pledge Drive – 1950
Stewardship campaigns over the years haven’t really changed! It’s about getting enough people to pledge enough dollars to …
Madonna and Child – Louise Despete Barkan
Emilie Auguste Louise Despete Barkan, known as Louise, never set foot in St. Mark’s, but she is remembered …
The Wedding Kneelers – Colonel Albert Kellogg Stebbins Jr.
St. Mark’s is blessed with a collection of needlepoint kneelers lovingly crafted by a crew of women from …
The Hymn Boards – Maud Boardman Edsell
Zera Maud Boardman (always known as Maud) was born in 1872 in Ohio. The Boardman family lived in …
The David Window – Florence Reynolds
The David window is located in the Chancel. This window was given in memory of Florence Krag Reynolds. …
Window Magic
If you’re lucky enough to be inside the church on a sunny day, be on the lookout for …
The St. Matthew Window – Jane Gertrude Ricker
The St. Matthew window is located along the east side of the Nave at St. Mark’s. This window …
The St. Ambrose window in the Chancel – Martha Ellison West
The St. Ambrose window is located on the Gospel side of the Chancel…it’s way up high which made …
The Thomas Cranmer window given by a group of donors
The Thomas Cranmer window was originally located in the Gospel transept or chapel in St. Mark’s, but was …
The New Entrance: Then and Now
St. Mark’s main sanctuary, constructed in 1956, was a traditional Gothic design. Seen from overhead, the building was …
september, 1985 – The Messenger
St. Mark’s was in the middle of a transition as they prepared to celebrate the arrival of new …
The Chancel: Then and Now
The Chancel in the main church building has gone through several dramatic changes since it was first built …
the bishop’s chair and more – fritz barkan jr.
The Altar Rose window is located along the east side entrance at St. Mark’s. This window was given …
Women on the Vestry?
The initial group that founded St. Mark’s in 1948 included many women, most of whom later served in …
The St. Peter and St. Andrew windows in the Nave – Mildred Wood Poole
The St. Andrew and St. Peter windows are located along the west side of the Nave at St. …
The Coronation Service
On June 1st of 1953, St. Mark’s joined the world-wide Anglican community by hosting a special service to …
The Gros and Clarke Gardens: Then and Now
St. Mark’s once had two grassy enclosed gardens side by side, just next to the Chapel. These two …
St. Mark’s Church Cat
During the 1980’s, St. Mark’s had its own church cat – aptly named Magnificat. Some remember Magnificat as …
The Jerusalem Stone
There’s an odd little gray piece of what looks like marble just outside the door of the main …
The Nativity Window in ST. Nicholas Chapel – Beulah Hay Radford
The Nativity window is located in the St. Nicholas Chapel at St. Mark’s. This is the only St. …
Rogation Sunday – 1949
Traditionally celebrated on the fifth Sunday after Easter with processions and prayers, Rogation Sunday invites people “to ask …
Planting Trees in 1949 – The first Work Day?
The parcel of land purchased for the saint marks campus in 1948 had never been developed – it …
The Moses Window in St. Nicholas Chapel – Julia Woodward Nichols
The Moses window is located in the St. Nicholas Chapel at St. Mark’s The window was given in …
Rose Window – Henry, Harry and Lawrence Meiggs
The Rose window is located in the St. Nicholas Chapel at St. Mark’s The window was given in …
10 Things You probably Didn’t Know About the Parish Hall
In the early years, St. Mark’s grew faster than it could build space for its activities. The first …
St. Nicholas Window – Rev. Dr. E. Tanner Brown
The St. Nicholas Window is located in the St. Nicholas Chapel in St. Mark’s Church The window was …
May, 1952 – Vestry Minutes
The Vestry met on May 21, 1952. Canon West was the Rector. This month’s meeting focused on financial …
July, 1962 – vestry minutes
The Vestry met on July 11, 1962. Spencer Rice was the Rector. After approving the Treasurer’s Report and …
Cooking Class
This photo was labeled “Cooking Class.” Gretchen Emmons, Sue Anderson and Rags Kelly are fifth, sixth and seventh …
the organ – the philbrick’s
Although the church was organized in 1948, The Philbrick Memorial Organ was not installed until 1957. Up to …
Mission versus Parish
New Episcopal congregations often start out as missions and eventually become parishes. What’s the difference? Here’s how Robert …
the church steeple – eben takamine
The steeple, or spire, on the main church is given in memory of a man who never set …
the boar’s head dinner
From 1951 until at least 1961, St. Mark’s hosted an annual medieval pageant called The Boar’s Head Dinner. …
February, 1959 – Vestry Minutes
60 years ago, the Vestry decided to tentatively ratify the annual budget of $68,170 for 1959 (an optimistic …
Show me the money
After just a few meetings in early 1948, it was obvious to the St. Mark’s founding group that …
Ten things you probably don’t know about St. Mark’s chapel
1. The Chapel was the first building constructed by the new St. Mark’s congregation. 2. The congregation held …
The rectory – then and now
st. mark’s rectory then… St. Mark’s first official Rectory (or house where the Rector of the Parish lives) …
may, 1984 – the messenger
In May, 1984, Rector Colin Campbell announced that he was seeking a new call and planned to leave …
the altar and the pulpit – then and now
Our current altar had a previous life as a pulpit. The original pulpit in the main church was …
25th anniversary celebration
St. Mark’s celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special service in September of 1973. An article in the …
june, 1995 – the messenger
Carol Cook was the interim Rector at St. Mark’s. In 1995, Pentecost was on June 4. On Pentecost Sunday the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. …
Acolytes in the 80’s
This picture was taken at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco sometime in the 1980’s. We know the St. …
the chapel rose window – harvey bassett clarke
The Chapel Rose window is located in the west end of St. Mark’s Chapel The window was given …
angel icon – amber hendry
Amber Rose Hendry, daughter of Lyn Klay (a member of one of St. Mark’s original founding families) and …
1978 parish retreat – who are we?
This photo was in a packet of photos labeled “1978 Parish Retreat.” It’s definitely taken at Bishop’s Ranch …
a temporary home
The St. Mark’s Mission needed a place to hold worship services while the new Chapel was under construction. …
What’s in a name?
On March 2, 1948, 27 people gathered at the home of Colonel and Mrs. Walter Gaspar on Dana …
In the beginning
It was 1948. World War II was over and there was a baby boom underway in the United …
june, 1985 – the messenger
The Reverend Richard Ford was the interim Rector of St. Mark’s. On June 2, the combined choirs of …
The Chapel – then and now
The St. Mark’s Chapel Then…. The original Chapel, built in 1948, had a much larger interior space. It …