Parish Priest

Fr. Vincent McShane

Email: vianney.halewood@

btinternet.com


Pastoral Assistants

Sr. Clarissa and Sr. Ijeoma (Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)

Tel: 0151 421 1758

Sr. Catherine Farrelly (Daughters of Charity of St Vincent De Paul)

Tel: 0151 220 2525


Weekend Masses

Sunday Vigil

Sat 5.15pm Holy Family church

Sunday Morning

9.30am St. Mark's church

11.00am Holy Family church

Sunday Evening

6.00pm St. Mark's church

Information on all other Masses, including weekdays, can be found in the News section.

St. Mark

Scholars who have studied the text of Mark's Gospel agree in general that he used some basic literary source related to the present Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark's Gospel presents the least amount of historical or geographical information of all four Gospels. Mark is the first author to use the term Gospel, which originally seems to have referred to the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. To this basic core of early Christian teaching Mark added other elements of Jesus' early life, thereby creating the Gospel format we find in the other Gospels.

Mark presents the life of Jesus within a framework which is made up of certain themes: the Messiahship of Jesus; his preaching of the Kingdom of God; the miracles of Jesus; the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus; and the last instructions of Jesus to his followers. Internal examination of his Gospel supports the view that Peter was a direct source for much of Mark's material. Mark's Gospel in one sense represents the most simple form of the early Christian message, or kerygma. As the Messiah, Jesus spends some time in the desert. He then assembles his disciples, preaches the new message, works miracles to prove its authenticity, and is finally overtaken by his God-appointed destiny to die on a cross and thus achieve the salvation of all men. He shows himself after death to prove that he is alive and is the source of life.

Later Years

It is not known how or where Mark finished his life. The Egyptian Church claimed Mark as its founder and patron saint. Another tradition associates Mark with Aquileia in northern Italy. It was a group of refugees from Aquileia who founded Venice on the Adriatic in the 6th century and designated Mark, under the symbol of the winged lion, as the patron saint and defender of the future, prestigious Republic of Venice.

Mark is now considered as the Patron Saint of Barristers and has a feast day on April 25th.

Source: Encyclopedia of World Biography. ©2005-2006

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