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Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen, depicted by Carlo Crivelli in 1476 with three stones and the martyrs' palm.
Deacon and Protomartyr
Born	unknown,
Died	c.34–35, Jerusalem
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Lutheran Church, Anglican Communion
Feast	August 3, December 26, 27
Attributes	stones, dalmatic, censer, miniature church, Bible, martyrs' palm
Patronage	Acoma Indian Pueblo; casket makers; Cetona, Italy; deacons; headaches; horses; Kessel, Belgium; masons; Owensboro, Kentucky; Passau, Germany; Prato, Italy [1]
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Saint Stephen (Greek: Στέφανος Stephanos), known as the Protomartyr (Greek: Πρωτομάρτυρας Protomartyras) (or first martyr) of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Orthodox Church. His name means 'laurel wreath' or 'crown' in Greek.

Contents 1 Christian deacon 2 Martyrdom 3 Theophany 4 St. Stephen's Day 5 Cult of Saint Stephen 6 In Popular Culture 7 Commemorative places 8 References 9 External links

According to the Acts of the Apostles, during the early time frame of the Christian church in Jerusalem, Stephen was one of seven men, probably Hellenistic Jews, chosen to attend to the distribution of aid to elderly widows within the church community. (This role came to be known as deacon.) Stephen was also recognized for his gifts as an evangelist, preaching the teachings of Jesus to the people of Jerusalem, including members of the place of the Hellenistic synagogues.

Acts tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14) (see also Antinomianism) and was then stoned to death (c. A.D. 34–35) by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul: "And Saul entirely approved of putting him to death" (8:1). [2]. Stephen's final speech is presented as making an accusation against the Jews of continuing to persecute prophets who spoke out against their sins:

'"Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers." (7:52)

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. In Eastern Christian iconography he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments, and often holding a miniature church building and a censer.

As he was on trial and being prosecuted, Saint Stephen experienced a theophany. His theophany was unique in that he saw both the Father and the Son.

"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:56)

Main article: St. Stephen's Day

December 26, the "feast of Stephen" referred to in the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas, is called "St. Stephen's Day"; it is a public holiday in Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Republika Srpska, England and Wales, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Finland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The holiday is celebrated on December 27 in Romania and other Eastern Orthodox lands. In Catalonia (though not elsewhere in Spain) it is called "Sant Esteve" and is a bank holiday. It is called "Saint Étienne" in France, where it is a bank holiday in the Alsace-Moselle region (but not elsewhere).

December 26 is also a holiday in Ligao City, Philippines, which celebrates fiesta in honor of St. Stephen Protomartyr, its patron saint.

Another feast day, the Invention of St. Stephen, was historically kept on August 3, commemorating the finding of his body during the reign of Emperor Honorius.

Many churches are named in honor of Saint Stephen, but there was no official "Tomb of St. Stephen" until 415. When Christian pilgrims were traveling in large numbers to Jerusalem, a priest named Lucian said he had learned by a vision that the 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).

The Grateful Dead released the song St. Stephen on the album Aoxomoxoa in 1969. Performed in many concerts over the years, it is not clear how much the lyrics relate to the actual life of the saint.

• In Rome - Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls where his remains are interred with those of the eponymous saint under the altar
• In East Jerusalem - St. Steven's Church
• In the old city of Jerusalem - the "Lions' Gate" is also called St. Stephanus Gate, after the tradition that Stephen's stoning occurred here, though it probably occurred at Damascus Gate [3]
• In the village of Kafarbe, southeast Turkey - 'Mor Stephanus Church
• In London - "St Stephen's Chapel" in the Palace of Westminster was originally built in the reign of King Henry III and eventually became the first location of the debating chamber of the House of Commons
• In Dublin - St. Stephen's Green
• In Croghan - St. Stephen's Church

• "Stephen, Saint". Encyclopedia Britannica (15th edition) Volume 11. (1974). 250-251. 

• Latourette, Kenneth Scott (1975). "The Sweep of Christianity Across the Græco-Roman World", A History of Christianity, 1st paperback edition, New York: Harper & Row, 67-68. ISBN 0060649526. 

• Nixon, R. E. (1962). "Stephen". The New Bible Dictionary. Ed. J. D. Douglas. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans. 1216. ISBN 0-8028-2282-7. 

• Catholic Encyclopedia: Saint Stephen
• WikiChristian: Stephen (Acts)