Saint Stephen

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Saint Stephen, Protomartyr, depicted by Carlo Crivelli in 1476 with three stones and the martyrs' palm.

Saint Stephen is the Protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity and is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church and its Eastern Rite, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of England and its Anglican Communion among other religious denominations. He is identified as one of the first deacons chosen by the early church in Acts of the Apostles. The Feast of Saint Stephen is celebrated on December 26 in the Western Church and December 27 in the Eastern Church. A simple octave is kept by the Roman Catholic Church in honor of this feast; it is also commemorated in the liturgy of January 2.

Upon the death of Jesus, Stephen began to work hard to spread what was then called The Way. He preached the teachings of Jesus and participated in the conversion of Jews and Gentiles. Acts tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy and was then stoned to death by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul [1].

Saint Stephen's name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning "crown", which translated into Aramaic as Kelil. Saint Stephen is traditionally invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity and is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs' palm.

1 Cult of Saint Stephen
2 Media References
3 See also
4 Resources
5 Further reading

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Cult of Saint Stephen

Many churches are named in honor of Saint Stephen but there was no official "Tomb of St Stephen" for centuries until 415, when Christian pilgrims were traveling in large numbers to Jerusalem and a certain priest named Lucian said he had learned by revelation that tomb was in Caphar Gamala, some distance to the north of Jerusalem. Gregory of Tours reports that the intercession of Stephen preserved an oratory dedicated to him at Metz, in which his relics were preserved, when the Huns burned the entire city, leaving only the oratory standing, Easter eve, 451. (Historia Francorum ii.6).

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Media References

St. Stephen is remembered in the Christmas song "Good King Wenceslas".

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Resources

Catholic Encyclopedia: Saint Stephen

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Saint Stephen

Contents

Cult of Saint Stephen

Media References

See also

Resources

Further reading