St. Mark, Patron of the Church and the parish of Drummoyne, was the writer of the second Gospel. He was that “John Mark” mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as the companion of St. Paul and afterwards of St. Peter. His mother was Mary, who lived in Jerusalem, and was well known to the early Christians. Probably an ecclesia  or a gathering was held regularly in her house for the purpose of offering prayers and of celebrating the Divine Mysteries, for St. Peter on his miraculous release from prison, went at once to the house of Mary, “where many gathered together and praying.” In the holy atmosphere of such a household, John Mark lived and was educated. He does not appear to have known Our Lord personally, but learnt all about Him from the preaching of St. Paul and more particularly of St. Peter. In early manhood, he became the companion of St. Paul on his First Missionary Journey, but parted from the Apostle at Perge before the work had really begun, and returned to Jerusalem.

Ten years later, we find him in Rome as the fellow worker of St. Paul and companion of St. Peter. Thence he went to Asia Minor, but later in accordance with a wish expressed by St. Paul in his letter to Timothy, returned to Rome and was there probably when the Apostle of the Gentiles was martyred. St. Mark was Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt for a period of twenty years, and died there for his Faith, being dragged through the streets of the city. In his Gospel, he represents Our Lord as the Son of God and as the Author and Founder of a new and more perfect religion. By His words and miracles, Christ proves Himself God, and by force of this Divine authority, commissions the chosen Apostles to continue His preaching and His work. The Gospel is directed to the pagan converts to Christianity and especially to the Romans. The symbol of St. Mark is a lion represented sometimes rampant with wings and halo (indicating his divine inspiration and sainthood), sometimes standing with one paw holding a book and a two-edged sword, indicating his authorship of a Gospel. For the Gospel as the Word of God is “more piercing than a two-edged sword.” Excellent examples of this symbolism may be seen in the Church at St. Mark’s Drummoyne.

The Parish is happy in possessing such a glorious Patron and in having its church dedicated to God under the tutelage of such
a versatile saint. For St. Mark was a missionary, a martyr, a Bishop, and—rarest of all claims to Sainthood—an Evangelist.