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Rev. Mark C. McKone-Sweet

About Me

I was born and raised in Concord, Massachusetts, the son of a fine woodworker and preschool teacher. I grew up playing baseball, singing on stage and playing trumpet, delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, working in my dad's woodshop, raising honeybees, apprenticing for historic home renovations, and trying many more activities. I discovered the joy of serving others in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prisons during my childhood. In 2002, I met Kate (Professor of Business, Operations, and Entrepreneurship) during the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. We have two great children Maya (17) and Marcos (14), who bless us daily. In 2019, we welcomed Lexie (18) into our home, daughter of a priest friend in Haiti. I first felt called to the priesthood when I was 14 years old. It would take almost two decades before I entered the ordination process. God's call then formed through the love of my two best friends' mothers (Gill Ames and Del Thorndike), my high school music teacher (Mrs. D.), and countless priests, including The Very Rev. Edward Harrison, Rev. Dr. Maureen Kemeza, Deacon Janet McWalters, Brother David, SSJE, and Fr. Bullock (RC Priest). 

Education

During my educational journey, I faced many challenges but persevered thanks to many saints who patiently helped me learn to embrace and celebrate who I was. I was born with learning disabilities, dyslexia, and ADHD. Little did I know that the coping skills I developed would later prove to be gifts for ministry. I attended Wheaton College (MA) in their first co-ed class. At Wheaton, I developed my passion for mission work, built community as a co-founder of "The Gentlemen Callers" a cappella group, supported other students as a founding member of CARE (Campus Advocates for Rape Education), helping the college adapt to a new era. I traveled to Kenya and Tanzania in the summer of 1990 and discovered a passion for mission work. I also experienced the power of seeing the Southern Cross for the first time. While working at Equal Exchange, Inc., I studied for my MBA at Northeastern's evening program and applied what I learned in real time. I also discovered the power of solid teamwork and shared leadership in my case groups. I learned Spanish during this time, spending several weeks a year with coffee farmers in their homes and even attending a language immersion program in Mexico. I then attended seminary full-time and discovered my passion for preaching and liturgy. During my CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), despite my ADHD, I found the gift of listening: seeing a person with God's eyes. 

Experience

Working has been part of my identity since I was ten years old, In my many roles, I steadily developed my ability to build community and inspire people to take leaps of faith and apply their gifts for the greater good (being part of something bigger than themselves). Throughout my career at Equal Exchange, an entrepreneurial, growing company, I learned new skills and developed a toolbox for organization and community development, growth, and sustainability. Relationship building is the cornerstone from which I build community. An extraordinary insight sharpened over 30 years of my life: I learned to shed the shame of my learning disabilities in college, thanks to faculty intervention. Indeed, I realized that asking for help is not a sign of weakness or guilt, rather a vulnerability that engages a deeper trust and cooperation. In business, I developed the skills for leading strategic planning and implementation, team development, feedback loops, and the power of seeking deep, strong relationships with all stakeholders. Each day, I lived into my baptismal résumé in a secular and diverse workplace and world. When I began to work full-time in parishes, I discovered the deep joy of serving Christ and applying what I had learned from my prior experience.. I am a priest who leads congregations out of decline or stagnation to become vibrant, dynamic, and growing. I have learned to help align the congregation’s mission and cultures with core values of loving thy neighbor made real and tangible to all people. It is good, faithful work that bears great fruit.   

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