Our History

A Mission Takes Root

In December 2003, Orthodox Christian families of the greater Ocala area came together with a shared longing: a parish home of their own. With the blessing of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, a new mission was founded and placed under the patronage of St. Mark the Evangelist.

What began as a small gathering of the faithful has grown into a parish family serving Ocala, Belleview, The Villages, and all of Marion County.

A Parish Home in Belleview

Our chapel stands at 9926 SE 36th Ave. in Belleview, just north of Belleview High School — a simple and sacred space where the Divine Liturgy has been offered Sunday by Sunday for more than two decades.

The Greek Festival

The annual Greek Festival has become a beloved Marion County tradition, welcoming thousands of neighbors each year for food, music, dancing, and fellowship — and offering our wider community a first taste of Orthodox hospitality. In 2026, the festival's twenty-sixth year, it raised more than $150,000 in support of the parish and its ministries.

Shepherds of the Parish

Today the parish is served by Rev. Fr. Christian Siskos, who leads our community in worship, the sacraments, and the spiritual life of the parish. A fuller account of the clergy and founders who shaped St. Mark is being compiled as part of this history.

Help Us Tell the Story

Our Parish Council is gathering photographs, documents, and memories from across the parish's history. If you have something to share — a founding memory, a festival photograph, a name we should record — please contact the church office at (352) 245-0499. This page will grow as the story comes together.