Picture: Artaud de Montor (1772–1849) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Mark
4th-century pope
SaintResearchedAncient RomePre-congregation
Feast: 7 October (1962 Missal, commemoration) · not on the current Roman calendar
Born
300
Died
336
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Mark, a Roman, succeeded Pope Sylvester and was consecrated on 18 January 336; he died on 7 October of the same year. He may be the Mark of the Roman clergy to whom Constantine addressed, with Pope Miltiades, his letter on the Donatist dispute. The Liber Pontificalis credits him with two basilicas in Rome, one of them the present San Marco.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: Mark has been honoured as a saint since his death.
Why that counted as sanctity
Mark served the Roman Church in the first years of its freedom, briefly but faithfully.
Connected on this site
- Sylvester I Saint“Mark succeeded Sylvester I as pope on 18 January 336.” — Wikipedia
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Pope St. Mark
- Wikidata Q132797 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Pope Mark (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.