Welcome to St. Mark's University Parish!

Of all the churches in the world, St. Mark's is special—for more reasons than one! Having the unique distinction of being called a "University Parish," it functions both like the Newman Centers found on many a college campus and like your typical parish back home. Those twin dimensions go back to its founding in 1965, when it was established to serve the Catholics at the University of California-Santa Barbara as well as the faithful in the college town of Isla Vista. Over the years, St. Mark's has remained true to that two-fold mission and its primacy focus on providing for the spiritual needs of the undergraduate and graduate students at UCSB.

So whether you are a lifelong Catholic or someone new to the faith, we invite you to see for yourself what St. Mark's is all about! We have a chapel that is regularly open for prayer, a strong community of students who are happy to welcome you among us, plus Masses and liturgies everyday in which we gain strength and wisdom from God so as to make our way through this world.

As the one responsible for serving this community, I likewise want to offer you my personal welcome. Should you be new to St. Mark's, I hope that you will introduce yourself—and if you are returning, please let me know how you are! No matter what the case may be, I hope to see you soon!

United in Christ,

Fr. Ryan Thornton, OFM, PhD

Pastor