St. Mark Brings the Gospel to Egypt

St. Mark the Evangelist was one of the seventy disciples of Jesus and a companion of the apostles Paul and Peter. He is the author of the Gospel of Mark — the shortest and most action-packed of the four Gospels. Mark had been with Jesus since early in His ministry and witnessed the resurrection himself.

Around the year 42 AD, St. Mark sailed to Alexandria, Egypt — then one of the greatest cities in the world. According to tradition, as he entered the city, his sandal broke. He stopped at a cobbler's stall. The cobbler, a man named Anianus, accidentally pierced his hand with an awl while trying to repair the sandal. Mark healed him by mixing mud and clay and applying it to his wound — just as Jesus had healed the blind man. Anianus was amazed. Mark spoke to him about Jesus, and Anianus, along with his family, believed and was baptized.

From this beginning, St. Mark preached throughout Egypt and Libya, establishing communities of faith. He became the first Bishop of Alexandria and gave his life as a martyr — dragged through the streets of Alexandria on Easter day in 68 AD, dying with praise to God on his lips. The Coptic Church traces her apostolic heritage directly to St. Mark, making her one of the oldest Christian communities in the entire world.