St. Mark's in Venice I

No, not Basilica San Marco in Venezia, Italia,
St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Venice, Florida.
This will be the first of several assessments
Of what makes this church successful.

At present, we have only grasped one leg of the elephant;
Further forays in its activities will tell us more.
To begin with, the church has two full-time priests
And three visible deacons whose status is unknown.

One Saturday service in the early evening is followed
By three scheduled services on Sunday.
We have attended the principal service at 9:30
With a counted attendance of over 200 worshippers.

The church building is just spacious enough
To hold 300 in a modest configuration.
It is a replacement of a structure built
Sometime in the 20s when Venice was founded.

Out buildings include a large parish hall,
A pre-school and Sunday School addition,
A separate office and an after school
On a campus of about four to five acres.

A weekly sit-down dinner attracts 125
Which in Lent becomes a simple soup supper.
Numerous activities and outreach efforts are
Posted and announced from the pulpit.

St. Mark's advertizes weekly in local papers
And is featured in all the guides for the area.
Small signs of their own devising are at
Critical junctions around the town.

The church is situated on Venice island,
Created by the intracoastal waterway.
That is now the "old town," containing
Cultural institutions for the surrounding community.