Mark and Marcellian

Mark and Marcellian (Latin: Marcus and Marcellianus) are martyrs venerated as saints by the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Their cult is sometimes associated with that of Saints Tranquillinus, Martia, Nicostratus, Zoe, Castulus and Tiburtius, though not in the official liturgical books of the Church, which mention only Mark and Marcellianus (in first place) among the saints for 18 June.

Their commemoration on 18 June is included in the liturgical calendars from the Tridentine Calendar through the General Roman Calendar of 1962. In 1969 it was excluded from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints because nothing is known about them except their names, the fact of their martyrdom, and that they were buried on 18 June in the cemetery of Balbina on the Via Ardeatina.

Their legend states that they were martyred at Rome under the Emperor Diocletian towards 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 St Sebastian, which, though ancient, are largely legendary.