# Saint Mark: Tradition and John Mark Trusted Again > John Mark, whose story is read alongside the tradition of Saint Mark the Evangelist, once left Paul's mission but in the end was trusted again. - Source: Light of Saints, “Saint Mark: Tradition and John Mark Trusted Again”, https://lightofsaints.com/en/saints/mark-the-evangelist - When you quote or summarize this page, including in AI answers, credit Light of Saints (lightofsaints.com) and link the URL above, without changing the meaning (CC BY-ND 4.0). - Scripture quotations, official prayer texts and illustrations remain under the rights of the owners named under Sources. Published: 2026-11-12 · Saint A young man named John, who was also called Mark, once left Paul and Barnabas in the middle of a missionary journey. The Church honors Saint Mark the Evangelist, who according to tradition was a disciple and interpreter of Peter and a preacher of the Gospel in the Veneto region. Whether this John Mark is the same person as the Evangelist, the sources for this story do not say, so the journeys of the two are told with care. ## Leaving the First Journey The journey began with the Church of Antioch. According to Pope Benedict XVI, the community there sent Barnabas with Paul on a mission to proclaim the Gospel, which became known as Paul's first missionary journey. John Mark went with them, but later left the group. The reason is not given, and how he felt at the time is not recorded either. ## The Disagreement over John Mark That event had lasting consequences. When the second missionary journey was about to begin, Barnabas wanted to take John called Mark along as a traveling companion. Paul refused, because the young man had once deserted them. The two preachers of the Gospel, who until then had worked together, fell into disagreement. In the end Barnabas returned to Cyprus with John Mark, in about the year 49 by the Pope's estimate. Barnabas's wish to keep Mark with him was fulfilled. ## Reconciled with Paul The disagreement was not the end of the story. Paul, who had at first been somewhat harsh and bitter toward Mark, in the end found himself with him once again. How this restoration came about is not told, but the result is recorded. In Paul's last letters, the Letter to Philemon and the Second Letter to Timothy, Mark is named as one of his fellow workers. The man Paul had once turned down was now trusted to work alongside him, after the disagreement at the start of the second missionary journey. Reflecting on the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over Mark, Pope Benedict XVI drew a lesson about the saints. In his view, even saints can disagree and quarrel. For the Pope, this is a comfort, because it shows that the saints are real human beings. Holiness does not mean never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion and for starting again, and above all for reconciliation and forgiveness. This lesson is the Pope's interpretation, not an additional historical record. ## The Tradition of Mark the Evangelist Beyond the story of the journeys with Paul, the Church remembers Saint Mark the Evangelist through another tradition. St. Mark's Basilica in Venice hands on a very ancient tradition that the Evangelist was a disciple and interpreter of Peter, as well as a preacher of the Gospel in the Veneto region, even before the city of Venice was founded. The basilica's account does not mention Paul or the name John. The same basilica explains that the see of the Bishop of Venice is regarded as being of apostolic foundation, so its bishop bears the title of Patriarch. ## At a glance - **Status:** Saint; Vatican News lists him as St Mark, Evangelist on its Saint of the Day page ([Vatican News (Dicastery for Communication): St Mark, Evangelist - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/04/25/st-mark--evangelist.html)) - **Commemoration:** April 25 ([Vatican News (Dicastery for Communication): St Mark, Evangelist - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/04/25/st-mark--evangelist.html)) - **Name in the account of Paul's journeys:** John called Mark (John Mark); the available sources do not clearly state that he is the same person as the Evangelist ([Holy See (vatican.va): General Audience of 31 January 2007: Barnabas, Silas (also called Silvanus), and Apollos](https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070131.html)) - **According to tradition:** Disciple and interpreter of Peter ([Basilica Cattedrale di San Marco Evangelista (Patriarcato di Venezia): I Patriarchi e la Basilica – Basilica di San Marco](https://www.basilicasanmarco.it/storia/i-patriarchi-e-la-basilica/)) - **Preacher of the Gospel in Veneto:** According to a very ancient tradition, he preached the Gospel in the Veneto region before the city of Venice was founded ([Basilica Cattedrale di San Marco Evangelista (Patriarcato di Venezia): I Patriarchi e la Basilica – Basilica di San Marco](https://www.basilicasanmarco.it/storia/i-patriarchi-e-la-basilica/)) - **Attributed to:** The See of Venice, regarded as being of apostolic foundation, so its bishop bears the title of Patriarch ([Basilica Cattedrale di San Marco Evangelista (Patriarcato di Venezia): I Patriarchi e la Basilica – Basilica di San Marco](https://www.basilicasanmarco.it/storia/i-patriarchi-e-la-basilica/)) ## Reflection Have you ever stepped back from a task or let someone down? This story shows that failure does not have to be the last word in the journey of faith. Like John Mark, you can get up and begin again. Like Barnabas, you can give someone a second chance, and like Paul, you can choose to make peace. ## Sources - [Holy See (vatican.va): General Audience of 31 January 2007: Barnabas, Silas (also called Silvanus), and Apollos](https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20070131.html) — General Audience of January 31, 2007, section on Barnabas - [Vatican News (Dicastery for Communication): St Mark, Evangelist - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News](https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/04/25/st-mark--evangelist.html) — Vatican News page title, Saints, April 25; page title and commemoration date, Vatican News, Saints - [Basilica Cattedrale di San Marco Evangelista (Patriarcato di Venezia): I Patriarchi e la Basilica – Basilica di San Marco](https://www.basilicasanmarco.it/storia/i-patriarchi-e-la-basilica/) — Basilica di San Marco, page I Patriarchi e la Basilica, first paragraph; Basilica di San Marco, page I Patriarchi e la Basilica, opening sentence