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St. Mark of Galilee

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Marco di Atina known as Galileo, was a contemporary of Jesus and originally from Galilee.

Having come of age, after a long journey, he arrived in Atina. Here, a guest of the noble and wealthy Palaziano, the most illustrious of the whole city, who had welcomed the apostle Peter from Antioch to Rome, he was baptized and followed by the apostle, becoming a close collaborator in preaching.

He took him with him to Rome, where he began a difficult work of evangelization. Given the young man’s commitment, Peter rewarded him by appointing him Bishop of Atina.

The Church tells us that when he returned to Atina, he saw a statue of the god Giano to whom idolatrous worship was made, and pulverized it with a sign of the cross.

Welcomed into the home of Palaziano, who had lost his wife, he consoled him and, speaking of the transience of mortal life and eternal happiness, converted him to the Christian faith with fifty-seven other family members and gave them baptism.

San Marco switched a temple dedicated to Jupiter, which was near the Palagio di Palaziano, consecrating it in honor of the Prince of the Apostles, who is still remembered today as the first temple of faith by the Atinati. Here the holy bishop established seven priests and as many deacons.

He began to fight paganism by destroying pagan temples and converting more and more people: he is said to have converted five thousand people. In response, the pagan priests reported him to the Roman proconsul Maximus and to the emperor Domitian, who ordered a fierce persecution of Christians.

Despite the bloodshed, Mark continued his pastoral commitment by exhorting everyone to faith and performing numerous miracles.

The martyrdom

To end this resistance, his capture was decided. On April 28, after torturing him, he was tried and killed with nails in the head (96 ca). A few years later, Atina was hit by two terrible scourges: the drought and the invasion of wolves.

On October 1st, San Marco manifested himself and saved the city, which acclaimed him patron. Every year on the occasion of the anniversary, the Atinati honor him with solemn celebrations. (this is a fable)

His mortal remains, once preserved in the collegiate church of Santa Maria in the cemetery, were moved to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta after the war.

The date of October 1st corresponds to the dedication of the cathedral to Santa Maria Assunta which houses the relics and the statue of the saint after the destruction, during the Second World War, of the church dedicated to him.

Before the Second World War, on October 1st, the statue of the saint was moved in procession to the main church from the church of San Marco located at the collegiate church of Santa Maria at the current cemetery complex in whose area the church of San Pietro was built in the Middle Ages.

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