Fr. Mark was raised in a Baptist household but as a teenager drifted from his faith, to the point of being an atheist. A Catholic friend invited him to a SEARCH retreat, where he committed his life to Jesus Christ. After the retreat he fervently attended his Baptist church and participated in many activities. However, in his senior year of high school he sought instruction in the Catholic faith and was received into the Church. He discovered his vocation to the priesthood while attending college.