ST. MARK WAS BORN IN THE CITY OF CYRENE IN PENTAPOLIS , OF JEWISH PARENTS
, THREE YEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR , JESUS CHRIST .
HIS ORIGINAL NAME WAS JOHN , AND HIS SURNAME WAS MARK . HIS PARENTS , ARISTOPOLOS AND MARY , MIGRATED TO PALESTIN, SHORTLY AFTER THE BIRTH OF ST. MARK, BECAUSE OF THE ATTACKS ON THEIR TOWN
AND PROPERTY . THEY SETTLED IN CANA OF GALILEE .
CHURCH TRADITION STATES THAT MARY AND HER SON MARK WERE
AMONG THE ATTENDANTS WHO SERVED AT THE FEAST OF CANA OF GALILE,
AT WHICH JESUS CHRIST TURNED THE WATER INTO WINE .
IT WAS IN ST. MARK’S HOUSE THAT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ATE THE LAST SUPPER WITH HIS DISCIPLES ( MARK 14 : 13 – 15 ) .
IN FACT ST. MARK’S HOUSE WAS THE FIRST CHURCH IN THE WORLD. THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ON THE DISCIPLES TOOK PLACE IN THE SAME HOUSE.
ST. PETER, AFTER HE HAD BEEN SET FREE FROM PRISON , WENT DIRECTLY TO ST. MARK’S HOUSE ,WHERE THE APOSTLES AND THE CHRISTIANS WERE PRAYING TOGETHER .
HIS EVANGELISM : NO DOUBT THAT ST. MARK EVANGELIZED IN MANY PLACES , INCLUDING EUROPE , ASIA AND AFRICA .
HE VISITED LEBANON AND SYRIA , SPECIALLY ANTIOCH ( ACTS 11 : 27-30 ). HE EVANGLIZED IN CYPRUS AND PAPHOS UNTIL HE REACHED PERGA IN PAMPHYLIA ( ACTS 13 : 4 , 5 ) .
HE ALSO PREACHED THE WORD OF GOD IN ROME , IN VENICE , AND IN COLOSSE ( COLOSSE 4 : 10 , 11 ) AND IN MANY OTHER PLACES.
AFTER PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD IN PENTAPOLIS ( THE FIVE CITIES IN NORTH AFRICA ) , ST. MARK CAME TO ALEXANDRIA , THE SEAT OF LEARNING , CULTURE AND KNOWLEDGE .
ST. MARK’S FIRST CONVERT IN THE CITY WAS A SHOEMAKER (HANANIAH – ANNIANUS ) WHO INVITED ST. MARK TO HIS HOME , WHERE HE WAS BAPTIZED TOGETHER WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMLY . ANNIANUS’ HOUSE WAS THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN ALEXANDRIA .
ST. MARK ORDAINED ANNIANUS AS THE FIRST BISHOP OF THE NEW CHURCH . HE ALSO ORDAINED THREE PRIESTS , AND SEVEN DEACONS FOR THE CHURCH OF ALEXANDRIA .
THE EVANGELIST TRAVELLED TO JERUSLEM ,THEN TO ROME .( 2 TIMOTHY 4: 11) .
SHORTLY AFTER THAT HE HEADED FOR PENTAPOLIS . THERE HE ESTABLISHED A CHURCH AT CYRENE , HIS NATIVE TOWN AND BAPTIZED A GREAT NUMBER OF CONVERTS .
ST. MARK RETURNED TO EGYPT AND WORKED AT SPREADING THE WORD OF GOD WITH GREAT SUCCESS . HE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST CHURCH IN ALEXANDRIA , AT BUCALIA NEAR THE SEASHORE- THE SAME POST WHERE ST. MARK CHURCHIN ALEXANDRIA STANDS AT PRESENT .
HE HANDED THE LITURGY AND OTHER RITES TO ST. ANANIAS , AND ESTABLISHED THE THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL OF ALEXANDRIA , WHERE THE STUDYWAS BASED ON CTECHISM . IN ADDITION TO THEOLOGY , THE SCHOOL OFFERED COURSES IN MEDICINE , ENGINEERIG , MUSIC , CLASSICAL STUDIES , LITERATURE AND SCIENCE.
ST. MARK’S MARTYRDOM :
THE WORK OF ST. MARK IN EGYPT AT THAT TIME WAS SO GREAT AS TO AROUSE THE HATRED AND VENGEANCE OF THE PAGAN EGYPTIONS AGAINST HIM.
ON THE OCCASION OF THE FESTIVAL OF SERAPIS , ST. MARK WAS
DRAGGED OUT OF THE CHURCH THROUGH THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA , AND THAT COINCIDED WITH THE EASTER MASS OF 68 A.D. THEN HE WAS THROWN INTO JAIL . THERE HE HAD TWO VISIONS ; HE SAW AN ANGEL WHO ENCOURAGED HIM , AND HE SAW JESUS CHRUST HIMSELF WHO APEARED TO BLESS HIM , AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS COMING MARTYRDOM.