Surrounded by the former palace of the Venetian ambassador
to the Papal States, this venerable basilica stands almost in the shadow of the
Capitoline Hill, the symbolic heart of ancient Rome. There are several
layers of ruins beneath the current church, including some from the late empire
that bear signs of Christian worship on this site before the construction of
this church. Pope St. Mark was the founder of the first large house of
Christian worship on this site in the mid 330s. Whether his gift consisted
of the church itself or just the land on which it is built is unknown;
archeological finds point to the construction of the first basilica on this
site to sometime in the first half of the fourth century.
Collect
May your unfailing compassion, O Lord,
cleanse and protect
your Church, and,
since without you she cannot stand secure,
may she be always
governed by your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
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