Your Faith Journey with EWTN
As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
First century–c. 68
Patron Saint of Venice, Italy; Egypt; notaries; lawyers; interpreters; prisoners; and those who work with written communication
St. Mark the Evangelist holds a unique place in the life of the Church as the author of the earliest written Gospel. Although he was not one of the Twelve Apostles, he was closely connected to them and played a key role in preserving their witness.
Most scholars identify him as John Mark, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. He was a cousin of St. Barnabas and accompanied Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys. Despite once parting ways with St. Paul over a disagreement, he later reconciled with him and became one of his trusted companions.
Early Christian tradition tells us that St. Mark served as St. Peter’s interpreter and companion in Rome. The Gospel of Mark relates the essence of St. Peter’s preaching. His writing presents Jesus as both the Divine Son of God and the suffering Messiah. He emphasizes Jesus’ actions: He taught, healed, cast out demons, and offered His life on the Cross.
According to Tradition, St. Mark founded the Church in Alexandria in Egypt, one of the most important centers of early Christianity. As its first bishop, he strengthened the faithful in a growing and often hostile environment. He was martyred there around 68 A.D.
The winged lion comes from the vision of the four living creatures described in the Books of Ezekiel and Revelation. Early Christians associated these four creatures with the four Evangelists. The lion represents courage, royalty, and resurrection. St. Mark’s Gospel begins with John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness with a powerful, roaring voice. The lion also symbolizes Christ as the King who triumphs through sacrifice. Artistic depictions of St. Mark often include the winged lion at his side.
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and is known for its urgency and vivid detail. St. Mark frequently uses words like “immediately,” moving the narrative forward with energy and momentum. His Gospel emphasizes what Jesus does rather than long discourses. It highlights Christ’s miracles, authority, and suffering, pointing to discipleship as the path of the cross. Its direct style made it especially accessible to early Christians facing hardship. His Gospel begins with Jesus’ adult life and does not contain accounts about His birth or genealogy.
According to tradition, St. Mark was martyred in Alexandria and buried there. In the early ninth century, Venetian merchants brought his relics to Venice, Italy, to protect them and honor the Apostle there. They were placed in what is now St. Mark’s Basilica. The basilica became a major center of pilgrimage, and the city of Venice placed itself under the saint’s patronage. A portion of the relics was later returned to the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt by Pope Paul VI and Pope Cyril VI to honor the saint’s original resting place. Today, devotion to St. Mark remains strong in both the Western and Eastern Christian traditions.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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