St Mark's Day

"St Mark is one of the four Evangelists. He was not one of the Apostles but was a disciple of theirs from the outset and soon became their companion in their mission. He appears to have been associated especially with St Peter; he acted as his interpreter and wrote down his teaching: the Gospel of St Mark is a faithful reflection of the teaching of the Prince of the Apostles.

"Possession of the body of St Mark is one of the glories of Venice [the picture is of the patriarchal basilica of St Mark in Venice]; he is patron of the city. Christian iconography usually represents St Mark by a lion. The lion is one of four symbolical animals of Ezechiel's vision." -The St Andrew Missal, (ed. 1962), p 1200