A parishioner at St. Thomas since its beginning, Deacon Mark White was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on August 15, 2020 at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Bishop Patrick Zurek. In addition to other functions, he helps with Adult Faith Formation and is particularly interested in refreshing the faith of parents as their children receive their sacraments.
Mark grew up in Amarillo where he attended Catholic grade school and was very involved with Boy Scouts through high school. After graduating from Amarillo High School, he attended Amarillo College and then Texas Tech University for undergraduate work and law school. In 1982 he began a thirty-four-year trial practice, eventually specializing in lawyer ethics and discipline.
He is currently the Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Amarillo College in addition to serving as Athletic Director. His relaxation is distance running and reading. Mark is very interested in religious art and collects paintings of the Annunciation.
Mark married a fellow lawyer, Terry in 1983. She retired in 2021 and enjoys volunteering for St. Thomas and other community organizations such as the Amarillo Symphony.
Terry and Mark have two daughters. Courtney is an assistant City Attorney for the City of Amarillo and attends St. Thomas as well. Their other daughter Hillary (married to Reagan) lives in Birmingham, Alabama where she specializes in company-wide employee training for Protective Life Insurance Company.