Mark and Marcellian

The Holy Martyrs Mark and Marcellian were brothers and martyrs of Rome, venerated by the Church from the early centuries. They are venerated as saints by the Catholic Church and by the Orthodox Church. Our sources do not agree about the day: the Orthodox Church commemorates them, according to the Russian source, on 18 December by the old calendar, and the Catholic Church on 18 June.

According to one source, Mark and Marcellian were twin brothers, deacons, who lived in Rome with their wives and children. They were seized because they refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. They converted to the Lord their guard, fled, but were soon seized again. They received death at Rome. Their basilica was found in the catacombs of the Roman church of Santa Balbina in 1902. According to another source, the only things known about them are their names, the fact of their martyrdom and that they were buried on 18 June in the cemetery of Santa Balbina on the Via Ardeatina. For this reason their mention in the General Roman Calendar was removed in the revision of 1969.

Their legend states that they were martyred at Rome under the emperor Diocletian, toward the end of the third century, most likely in the year 286. They are mentioned in most of the ancient martyrologies, including the Roman Martyrology, and their martyrdom is described in the Acts of Saint Sebastian, which, though ancient, are largely legendary. Their cult is sometimes associated with that of Saints Tranquillinus, Martia, Nicostratus, Zoe, Castulus and Tiburtius, though not in the official liturgical books.