Part I. The story: 1. St. Mark

PART I — THE STORY

St. Mark

To Christians, all the world over, St. Mark is one of the four writers of the Gospel. To the Copts, he is the Bearer of the Good News, the Founder of their Church, and the first Pope of Alexandria. Born in Cyrene ⁽¹⁾ (in North Africa), he was attracted to return to his native land and preach the Good News. Accordingly, he first went to the pentapolis where he started the first African christian community. From thence, he came to Alexandria in 61 A.D. This great metropolis dazzled him by its splendour and beauty; it filled him with unutterable sadness by its sin and waywardness. Towards the evening of his first day, the strap of his sandal was torn, and he turned to the first cobbler he met. As Anianus (the cobbler) was working, the awl pierced his hand. He lifted it up, exclaiming : “O, One God !” The Apostle healed his wound and, taking his clue from the exclamation, gave Anianus the Good News. That day the Seed was sown: the cobbler and his family were the first fruits of the Church founded by St. Mark.

(1) This is the city of Simon who bore the cross of the Saviour on the way to Calvary (Matt. 27:32) ; it is also mentioned in connection with the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). The Pentapolis form (with Cyrene) five cities in the present-day Lybia, North Africa.

During his ministry, St. Mark ordained Anianus Bishop, thus consecrating the first African Bishop. He also ordained with him twelve priests and seven deacons who, with their Bishop, formed the first group of African clergymen; they carried on the work of sowing the Seed proclaimed by the Evangelist. To fortify the newly-born Church, St. Mark founded the Catechetical School in Alexandria, which is the first theological college in the whole Christian world; wrote his Gospel at the request of the believers, and legated to them the Liturgy (now known as the Kyrillian).

In the year 68 A.D., the eve of the feast of the god Serapis happened to coincide with the eve of Easter. The crowds who gathered for the former feast were fanned to a frenzy by their leaders. Hardly had they ended their celebration, than they rushed to the church, seized St. Mark, tied a rope round his neck and dragged him through the streets. In a short time, his head was severed from his body. They left him and dispersed. The believers came and lifted him up, putting his head in a casket which they put in the Church they called after him where it is still treasured. His body was placed in a church by the seashore . The Venetian merchants stole it in the nineth century where they put it under the altar of the grand cathedral named after St. Mark whom they declared the Patron Saint of their city. In June 1968, after a period of negociations, Pope Paul VI (of Rome) gave the Evangelist’s relics to Pope Kyrillos VI (of Alexandria) on the occasion of celebrating the passage of nineteen centuries since St. Mark’s martyrdom. A grand cathedral had been erected for the occasion, and below its altar a reliquary. The relics arrived home on the 24th. of June; for three consecutive days, the Coptic Church celebrated this supreme commemoration. Members from all churches throughout the world, the Egyptian Government and emperor Haile Selasie of Ethiopia shared in the celebrations. Then St. Mark’s relics was carried in a procession and placed in the reliquary.