Today is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, sometimes called John Mark in the New Testament. He is the author of the second Gospel, which he wrote in Greek for the Gentiles who converted to Christianity. Tradition says that the Romans also asked Mark to record the teachings of St. Peter about Jesus.
Mark is also said to have traveled to Cyprus with St. Paul and St. Barnabas, his cousin. He is traditionally considered the founder of the Church in Alexandria. Mark and his mother, Mary, were highly regarded in the early Church, and Mary’s home in Jerusalem served as a meeting place.
St. Mark is the patron saint of notaries.
