Mark of Arethusa, St.

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MARK OF ARETHUSA, ST.

Bishop; b. 250270; d. Arethusa?, Lebanon, after 362. He is known only as a bishop active in the dispute over arianism. Like many others, he shrank from the new term of consubstantiality and so joined the SemiArians. He attended their synods and drafted the creed of sirmium (351), approved at Rimini in 359. Under julian the apostate he destroyed a beautiful pagan temple and was cruelly tortured by his fellow townsmen (362). His eulogy by St. gregory of nazianzus indicates that he died in orthodoxy. clement viii approved his cult in 1598. He is mentioned in the Church histories of sozomen (5.10) and theodoret (3.3).

Feast: Mar. 29; Mar. 28 (Eastern Church).

Bibliography: Patrologia Graeca 35:616634; 42:443, 451. Acta Sanctorum Mar. 3:771775. c. baronius, Annales ecclesiastici 5:8384.

[j. van paassen]