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Mark's Gospel account of Jesus Christ is probably the oldest of the four Gospels, being written around 70 A.D. It is believed that he was the nephew or cousin of St. Barnabus. St. Mark was associated with both St. Peter and St. Paul. He is the Patron Saint of Egypt and Venice, and was the first bishop of Alexandria in Egypt.
Mark's symbol is a Lion, usually winged. In the book of Revelation, in the New Testament, the visionary sees four winged creatures around the throne of God: a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. (cf. Ezekiel Chapters 1 and 10.) It is said that these represent the four Gospels, or the four Evangelists (Gospel-writers). One interpretation is that the man stands for Matthew, whose Gospel begins with the human genealogy of Jesus; that the lion stands for Mark, whose narrative begins with John the Baptist crying out in the desert (a lion roars in the desert); that the ox, a sacrificial animal, stands for Luke, whose narrative begins in the Temple, and that the eagle stands for John, whose narrative begins in Heaven, with the eternal Word that has come down from Heaven.

Mark was converted to the Faith by Peter, whom he afterwards accompanied to Rome, acting there as his secretary or interpreter. When St. Peter was writing his first epistle to the churches of Asia, he affectionately refers to his faithful companion as "my son Mark". The Roman people asked St. Mark to write down for them Peter's frequent accounts of Our Lord's life. The Evangelist did this with Peter's permission and guidance. This brief but graphic Gospel was often referred to by the early Fathers as "Peter's Gospel".

St. Mark was sent to Egypt to found the Church of Alexandria. He set up the first Christian school there, which produced many illustrious doctors and bishops. After governing his see for many years, St. Mark was arrested one day, dragged by ropes over stones, and thrown into prison. He died from his torture there.