Venerable
Mark the Cook
of the Great Lavra
Cook of the Great Lavra, disciple of St Athanasios, who stood for forty-five days; venerated by the faithful, not formally canonized.
- Era
- 10th century
- Place
- Great Lavra, Mount Athos
- Order
- Venerables
Life
Mark the Cook was a disciple of St Athanasios the Athonite in the tenth century and served as cook of the Great Lavra. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.
A fifteenth-century Serbian manuscript of the Life of Athanasios speaks of him. Wishing to imitate the holy stylites, Mark undertook to stand for forty-five days. The strain made his bowels sink. He then prayed earnestly to Nikephoros the Calabrian, an earlier disciple of Athanasios who had died, and his prayer was heard and he was healed.