We know very little of Saint Mark the Deaf (some calendars have him as Mark the Deaf Mute) other than what is written in the Synaxarion, probably from the 13th century on his feast day of January 2nd:

“Saint Mark the Deaf was an ascetic who lived a righteous life and died in peace.”

The following stanza is written as well:

“Mark did not hear an earthly word, and before he left the earth, his earthly ears were extracted.”

In Rethymno, Crete, there exists the only church dedicated to Saint Mark the Deaf, not only in all of Greece, but in the entire world. It is located on the grounds of the Holy Monastery of Saint George Arsaniou. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited this chapel in 2003 and celebrated a Divine Liturgy here, praising the fact that the Service was conducted in sign language.

Though Orthodoxy has many deaf saints, Saint Mark the Deaf has become the patron saint of the deaf. Among other saints who were deaf, there is St. Cadoc (Cadfan) Llankarvansky (+580), St. Drogo (Drew) (+12th cent.), St. Meriadoc (Meredith) (7th cent.), and St Owen Ruensky (Eugene) (+684). Other Orthodox churches in Greece and around the world also offer services in sign language, especially in Russia. Among them is the Simonov Monastery in Moscow.

Through the prayers of St Mark the Deaf, may our Orthodox community come together and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!