Father Mark Olenowski, a native of Denville, attended St. Mary’s Prep School and Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa Father Mark returned home to serve as President of the family business, Denville Line Painting Co., for five years. During this time, he taught CCD classes at St. Mary’s. He entered St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, where he completed his studies for the priesthood.  Father Mark was ordained to the priesthood on November 30, 1985 in St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Paterson. His first assignment after ordination was Parochial Vicar at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Morristown, where he served for eight years. He served as Diocesan Chaplain for the Boys and Girls Scouts of America. In 1993, he was assigned to Resurrection Parish in Randolph, as Parochial Vicar.  Father Mark spent one year at St. Louis University working on his Doctorate in Homiletics, which he received in the year 2000 from the Aquinas Institute.

In 1997, Father Mark was named Pastor of Holy Trinity in Passaic where he remained until 2003, at which time he then was appointed Administrator of Our Lady of the Mountain in Long Valley.  In 2006, he became Pastor. During this time, Father Mark served as Chairperson of the Diocesan Task Force on Evangelization for two years, as well as two terms on the Vocation Board.  Father Mark is currently serving on the Clergy Personnel Board, the Priestly Life Committee, the Diocesan Commission for Evangelization and Catechesis, the Pastors Advisory Council for Parish Finances and Presbyteral Council’s Panel of Pastors. Father Mark has currently been appointed to the Priest’s Advisory Study Committee for Capital Campaign Feasibility.

Father Mark became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2010, where he was given a Papal honor at the Cathedral of St. Patrick’s in New York City. In March of this year, he was inducted into the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus.

In his free time, Father Mark enjoys working on the mechanics of his golf swing.