View source for Saint Stephen

{{Short description|1st-century Christian martyr and saint}}
{{About|Stephen the Protomartyr|other uses, including other saints|Saint Stephen (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
|honorific_suffix= the Protomartyr
|name         = Stephen
|image        = St-stephen.jpg
|caption      = ''Saint Stephen the Martyr'' by [[Carlo Crivelli]]
|titles       = [[Deacon]], [[Archdeacon]]<br>[[Apostle of the Seventy]]<br>[[Protomartyr]] of the Faith
|birth_date   = {{Circa|AD 5}}
|death_date   = 33–36 (aged 27–31)
|death_place  = [[Jerusalem]], [[Judaea]], [[Roman Empire]]
|feast_day    = 25 December ([[Armenian Apostolic Church]])<br>26 December (Western)<br>27 December, 4 January, 2 August, 15 September (Eastern) <br>Tobi 1 ([[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria|Coptic Christianity]])
|canonized_date= [[Pre-Congregation]]
|canonized_place=
|canonized_by=
|major_shrine=
|attributes   = [[Red Martyr]], stones, [[dalmatic]], [[censer]], miniature church, [[Gospel Book]], [[martyr's palm]]. In [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox and Eastern Christianity]] he often wears an [[orarion]]
|patronage    = [[Altar server]]s; [[Acoma Pueblo|Acoma]] Native American [[Pueblo]]; [[Bricklayer]]s; [[Coffin|casket]] makers; [[Cetona|Cetona, Italy]]; [[deacons]]; [[headache]]s; [[horse]]s; [[Kessel, Belgium]]; [[masonry|masons]]; [[Owensboro, Kentucky]]; [[Passau|Passau, Germany]]; [[Kigali]], [[Rwanda]]; [[Dodoma]], [[Tanzania]]; [[Serbia]]; [[Ligao]]; [[Republic of Srpska]]; [[Prato|Prato, Italy]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://catholicsaints.info/saint-stephen-the-martyr/| title=Saint Stephen the Martyr|accessdate=21 February 2025 |website=CatholicSaints.info}}</ref>
|issues=
|suppressed_date=
|venerated_in = All churches that believe in [[Sainthood]]
}}

'''Stephen''' ({{langx|el|Στέφανος|Stéphanos}}; {{Circa|AD 5|34}}) is traditionally venerated as the [[protomartyr]] or first martyr of [[Christianity]].<ref name=ssdca>[http://www.ssdca.org/ssdca/index.cfm/st-stephen-bio/ "St. Stephen the Deacon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212172246/http://ssdca.org/ssdca/index.cfm/st-stephen-bio/ |date=12 December 2013 }}, St. Stephen Diaconal Community Association, Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.</ref> According to the [[Acts of the Apostles]], he was a [[deacon]] in the early church at [[Jerusalem]] who angered members of various [[synagogue]]s by his teachings. Accused of [[blasphemy]] at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:51–53|NRSV}}</ref> and was then [[stoned to death]]. [[Paul the Apostle|Saul of Tarsus]], a [[Pharisee]] and [[Roman citizen]] who would later become an [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostle]], participated in Stephen's execution.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|22:20|NRSV}}</ref>

The only source for information about Stephen is the [[New Testament]] book of the Acts of the Apostles.<ref name="Newadvent">{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14286b.htm |title=Saint Stephen 
|author=Souvay, Charles|encyclopedia=Catholic Encyclopedia, 1912 |publisher=New Advent |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref> Stephen is mentioned in [[Acts 6]] as one of the Greek-speaking [[Hellenistic Jew]]s selected to administer the daily charitable distribution of food to the Greek-speaking widows.<ref>Mal Couch, ''A Bible Handbook to the Acts of the Apostles'', 2003, p. 246. "Stephen is distinguished as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Stephen and the other men were Hellenistic Jews whose native language was Greek. He had lived with Gentiles in other parts of the Roman Empire."</ref>

The [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], [[Anglican]], [[Oriental Orthodox]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], and [[Lutheran]] churches and the [[Church of the East]] view Stephen as a [[saint]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1580boc.org/ap/xxi-ix |title=Article XXI (IX) Of the Invocation of the Saints}}</ref> Artistic representations often show Stephen with a crown symbolising [[Christian martyrdom|martyrdom]], three stones, [[palm branch|martyr's palm frond]], [[censer]], and often holding a miniature church building. Stephen is often shown as a young, beardless man with a [[tonsure]], wearing a deacon's [[vestments]].

==Background==
Stephen is first mentioned in the [[Acts of the Apostles]] as one of the [[Seven Deacons]], who were appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church. According to Orthodox belief, he was the eldest and is therefore called "archdeacon".<ref name=oca>{{cite web|url=http://oca.org/saints/lives/2015/12/27/103659-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-stephen|title=Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen}}</ref> As another deacon, Nicholas of Antioch, is specifically stated to have been a [[convert to Judaism]], it may be assumed that Stephen was born Jewish, but nothing more is known about his previous life.<ref name="Newadvent"/> The reason for the appointment of the deacons is stated to have been dissatisfaction among Hellenistic Jews that their widows were being slighted in preference to Hebrew ones in the daily distribution of food. Since the name Stephanos is [[Koine Greek]], it has been assumed that he was one of these Hellenistic Jews. Stephen is stated to have been full of faith and the [[Holy Spirit]] and to have performed miracles among the people.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|6:5, 8}}</ref>

[[File:St stephen.jpg|thumb|upright|''Stoning of Saint Stephen'', altarpiece of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, by Jacopo & Domenico [[Tintoretto]]]]
It seems to have been among synagogues of Hellenistic Jews that he performed his teachings and "signs and wonders" since it is said that he aroused the opposition of the [[Synagogue of the Libertines]], and "of the [[Cyrene (city)|Cyrenians]], and of the [[Alexandria]]ns, and of them that were of [[Cilicia]] and Asia".<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|6:9}}</ref> Members of these synagogues had challenged Stephen's teachings, but Stephen had bested them in debate. Furious at this humiliation, they suborned false testimony that Stephen had preached blasphemy against [[Moses]] and God. They dragged him to appear before the [[Sanhedrin]], the supreme legal court of Jewish elders, accusing him of preaching against the [[Second Temple]] and the [[Torah]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|6:9–14}}</ref> Stephen is said to have been unperturbed, his face looking like "that of an angel".<ref name="Newadvent"/>

===Speech to Sanhedrin===
In a long speech to the Sanhedrin comprising almost the whole of [[Acts 7]], Stephen presents his view of the history of the [[Israelites]]. The God of glory, he says, appeared to [[Abraham]] in [[Mesopotamia]], thus establishing at the beginning of the speech one of its major themes, that God does not dwell only in one particular building (meaning the Temple).<ref name="Williams">David J. Williams (1989), ''Acts (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series)'', Baker Books, Chapter 16, {{ISBN|978-0-8010-4805-0}}.</ref> Stephen recounts the stories of the [[Patriarchs (Bible)|patriarchs]] in some depth and goes into even more detail in the case of Moses. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush,<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:30–32}}</ref> and inspired Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Nevertheless, the Israelites turned to other gods.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:39–43}}</ref> This establishes the second main theme of Stephen's speech, Israel's disobedience to God.<ref name="Williams" /> Stephen faced two accusations: that he had declared that Jesus would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and that he had changed the customs of Moses. [[Pope Benedict XVI]] stated in 2012 that Stephen appealed to the Jewish scriptures to prove how the laws of Moses were not subverted by Jesus but were instead being fulfilled.<ref>Kerr, David. [https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/24836/st-stephens-death-shows-importance-of-scripture-pope-says "St. Stephen's death shows importance of Scripture, Pope says"], Catholic News Agency, 2 May 2012.</ref> Stephen denounces his listeners<ref name="Williams" /> as "stiff-necked" people who, just as their ancestors had done, resist the Holy Spirit. "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of the angels, and have not kept it."<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:51–53}}</ref>

===The stoning of Stephen===
[[File:Giovanni Battista Lucini - Martyrdom of St. Stephen.JPG|thumb|260px|''Stoning of Saint Stephen'' by [[Giovanni Battista Lucini]]]]

The account is that the crowd, thus castigated,  could contain their anger no longer.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/STEPHEN2.HTM |title=of Saints", John J. Crawley & Co., Inc. |access-date=21 April 2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071156/http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/STEPHEN2.HTM |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, Stephen looked up and cried, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the [[Son of man|Son of Man]] standing on the right hand of God." He said that the recently resurrected Jesus was standing by the side of God.<ref name="Williams2">David J. Williams, ''Acts (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series)'', Baker Books 1989, chapter 17, {{ISBN|978-0-8010-4805-0}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:54}}</ref> The people from the crowd, who threw the first stones,<ref>{{Bibleverse||Deuteronomy|13:9|HE}} and {{Bibleverse||Deuteronomy|17:7|HE}}</ref><ref name="Williams2" /> laid their coats down so as to be able to do this, at the feet of a young man named Saul (later identified as [[Paul the Apostle]]). Stephen prayed that the Lord would receive his spirit and his killers be forgiven, sank to his knees, and "fell asleep".<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:58–60}}</ref> Saul "was consenting unto his death."<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|8:1">{{bibleverse|Acts|8:1}}</ref> In the aftermath of Stephen's death, the remaining disciples except for the apostles fled to distant lands, many to [[Antioch]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|11:19–20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Unger |first=Merrill F. |author-link=Merrill Unger |editor-last=Harrison |editor-first=R. K. |year=2006 |orig-year=1957 |title=The New Unger's Bible Dictionary |location=Chicago |publisher=Moody Publishers |at=Antioch Ariana Grande Yuh |isbn=978-0-8024-9066-7 }}</ref>

====Location of the martyrdom====
The exact site of Stephen's stoning is not mentioned in Acts; instead there are two different traditions. One, claimed by noted French archaeologists [[Louis-Hugues Vincent]] (1872–1960) and [[Félix-Marie Abel]] (1878–1953) to be [[Ancient history|ancient]], places the event at Jerusalem's northern gate, while another one, dated by Vincent and Abel to the [[Middle Ages]] and no earlier than the 12th century, locates it at the eastern gate.<ref name="Corpus">{{cite book |series=Corpus Inscriptionum Iudeae/Palaestinae |title=Jerusalem, Part 2: 705–1120 |editor1=Hannah M. Cotton |editor2=Leah Di Segni |editor3=Werner Eck |editor4=Benjamin Isaac |editor5=Alla Kushnir-Stein |editor6=Haggai Misgav |editor7=Jonathan J. Price |editor8=Ada Yardeni |display-editors=3 |year=2012 |volume=1 |publisher=De Gruyter |page=275 |isbn=978-3-11-025188-3 |quote=.... St. Stephen's Gate (Lions' gate; Bab Sitti Mariam). The gate owes its name to a tradition according to which Stephen the Deacon, the first martyr, was stoned on this spot. At the beginning of the 20 c. the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy built a church dedicated to the Protomartyr in their property in front of the gate, in an endeavour to pinpoint the tradition of the site, which was falling into oblivion following the construction of the Dominican church and monastery on the site of the Eudocian church of St. Stephen north of [[Damascus Gate]]. The Greek builders went so far as to maintain that, in digging the foundations of the new church, they had found a broken lintel with an engraved invocation to Saint Stephen, but their claim, accepted by Macalister and Vailhé, was promptly disproved by Vincent, who was able to show that the lintel came in fact from Beersheba. Vincent and Abel maintained that the tradition about Stephen's stoning at the eastern gate of Jerusalem was not earlier than the 12 c., while the tradition pointing to the northern gate was ancient. .... J. Milik .... suggested that all the tombstones discovered in this area belonged to the cemetery of the Probatica. |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=2cfmBQAAQBAJ&q=%22saint+stephen%22+%22stoning%22+%22Damascus+Gate%22+%22Lions+Gate%22&pg=PA275 |access-date=31 August 2016 }}</ref>

==Views of Stephen's speech==
[[File:Luis de Morales - St Stephen.jpg|thumb|upright|''Saint Stephen'' by [[Luis de Morales]]]]
Of the numerous speeches in Acts of the Apostles, Stephen's speech to the Sanhedrin is the longest.<ref name="Koivisto">{{cite web|url=http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/GTJ-NT/Koivisto-Acts7Stephen-GTJ-87.pdf|author=Rex A. Koivisto|title=Stephen's Speech: A Theology of Errors?|year=1987|publisher=Grace Theological College|access-date=3 April 2013|archive-date=12 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512074340/http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/GTJ-NT/Koivisto-Acts7Stephen-GTJ-87.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> To the objection that it seems unlikely that such a long speech could be reproduced in the text of Acts exactly as it was delivered, some Biblical scholars have replied that Stephen's speech shows a distinctive personality behind it.<ref name="Williams" />
[[File:Rodolfo Bernardelli - Santo Estêvão 1879 (3).jpg|thumb|''The Protomartyr Saint Stephen Stoned by the Jews in the Last Days of the Year 33'' (1879) by Rodolfo Bernardelli]]

There are at least five places where Stephen's re-telling of the stories of Israelite history diverges from the scriptures where these stories originated; for example, Stephen says that Jacob's tomb was in [[Shechem]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|7:16}}</ref> but Genesis 50:13<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|50:13}}</ref> says Jacob's body was carried and buried in a cave in Machpelah at [[Hebron]].<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|8:1"/><ref name="Williams" /> Some theologians argue that these may not be discrepancies, but rather a condensing of historical events for people who were already familiar with them.<ref>{{cite book |last=Balge |first=Richard |date=2016 |title=The People's Bible: Acts |location=Milwaukee |publisher=Northwestern Publishing House |page=77 |isbn=978-0-8100-1190-8}}</ref> That Jacob's body was carried to a final resting place in Shechem is not recorded in Genesis, though it does not exclude the possibility that his bones were transferred to Shechem for a final burial place, as was done with the bones of Jacob's son Joseph, as described in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+24%3A32&version=NIV Joshua 24:32] Other scholars consider these and other discrepancies as errors. Still others interpret them as deliberate choices making theological points.<ref name="Koivisto" /> Another possibility is that the discrepancies come from an ancient Jewish tradition which was not included in the scriptures or may have been popular among people of Jerusalem who were not scribes.<ref>Marian Wolniewicz as the translator of the Book of Acts from: The Millennium Holy Bible; Warsaw, 1980</ref>

Numerous parallels between the accounts of Stephen in Acts and the [[Jesus]] of the [[Gospel]]s – they both perform miracles, they are both tried by the Sanhedrin, they both pray for forgiveness for their killers, for instance – have led to suspicions that the author of Acts has emphasised – in order to show the recipient that people become holy when they follow the example of Christ – or invented some (or all) of these.<ref name="Williams2" />

The criticism of traditional Jewish belief and practice in Stephen's speech is very strong – when he says God does not live in a dwelling "made by human hands", referring to the Temple, he is using an expression often employed by Biblical texts to describe idols.<ref name="Williams" />

Some people have laid the charge of anti-Judaism against the speech, for instance the priest and scholar of comparative religion [[S. G. F. Brandon]], who states: "The anti-Jewish polemic of this speech reflects the attitude of the author of Acts."<ref>{{Cite book
 | last = Brandon
 | first = S. G. F.
 | title = ''Jesus and the Zealots: A Study of the Political Factor in Primitive Christianity''
 | publisher = Charles Scribner's Sons
 | year = 1967
 | page= 158
 | isbn =978-0-684-31010-7 }}</ref>

==Commentary==
[[Friedrich Justus Knecht]] lists the similarities of the martyrdom of Stephen to Jesus' death on the cross:
<blockquote>
1. Our Blessed Lord was sentenced to death on the charge of blasphemy, because He had affirmed on oath: "I am the Son of the living God, and hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God". In the same manner Stephen was stoned on the assumption that he was a blasphemer, and because he professed his belief in the Divinity of Jesus, and said: "I see heaven open, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God". 2. Both our Blessed Lord and St. Stephen were treated as outcasts, and put to death outside the city. 3. Both, when dying, prayed for their enemies: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". – "Lay not this sin to their charge". 4. Both, before dying, commended their souls to God: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit". – "Lord Jesus, receive my soul!"<ref>{{cite book|chapter = [[s:A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture/LXXXVIII. Election and Ordination of Deacons. – Stephen the First Martyr|LXXXVIII. Election and Ordination of Deacons. – Stephen the First Martyr]]|title = A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture|year = 1910| publisher = B. Herder |author=Friedrich Justus Knecht |author-link=Justus Knecht }}</ref>
</blockquote>

==Tomb and relics of Stephen==
[[File:Place of the stoning of St. Stephen in Jerusalem.JPG|thumb|Reputed site of the stoning of Stephen, Greek Orthodox Church of St Stephen, [[Kidron Valley]], Jerusalem]]

Acts 8:2<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|8:2}}</ref> says "devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him," but the location where he was buried is not specified.

In 415, a priest named Lucian purportedly had a dream that revealed the location of Stephen's remains at [[Beit Jimal]]. After that, the [[relic]]s of the protomartyr were taken in procession to the [[Dormition Abbey|Church of Hagia Sion]] on 26 December 415, making it the date for the feast of Saint Stephen. The recovery of the relics were described in a letter written by [[Avitus of Braga]],<ref>The standard edition of the ''Revelatio Sancti Stephani'' and the ''Epistula Aviti'' is that of S. Vanderlinden in ''Revue des Etudes Byzantines'' '''4''' (1946:178-217).</ref> who was involved in a plot to bring some of those relics to [[Braga]] via the historian and theologian [[Orosius|Paulus Orosius]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=A dictionary of early Christian biography: and literature to the end of the sixth century A.D.; with an account of the principal sects and heresies |date=2014 |publisher=Hendrickson Publ |isbn=978-1-61970-269-1 |editor-last=Wace |editor-first=Henry |location=Peabody, Mass. |pages=1263–1264 |editor-last2=Piercy |editor-first2=William Coleman}}</ref> In 439, the relics were translated to a new church north of the Damascus Gate built by the empress [[Aelia Eudocia]] in honor of Saint Stephen. This church was destroyed in the 12th century. A 20th-century French Catholic church, Saint-Étienne, was built in its place, while another, the Greek Orthodox Church of St Stephen, was built outside the eastern gate of the city,<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist%20Information/Christian%20Themes/Details/Pages/Saint%20Stephen%20Church%20%20%20chr.aspx |title= St Stephen Church |publisher= Ministry of Tourism, Government of Israel |access-date= 3 April 2013}}</ref> which a second tradition holds to be the site of his martyrdom, rather than the northern location outside Damascus Gate (for the two traditions see [[#Location of the martyrdom|here]]).

The [[Crusades|Crusaders]] initially called the main northern gate of Jerusalem "Saint Stephen's Gate" (in Latin, ''Porta Sancti Stephani''), highlighting its proximity to the site of martyrdom of Saint Stephen, marked by the church and monastery built by Empress Eudocia.<ref name=Boasp53>{{cite book |page=53 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6m0qsAMf0z4C&pg=PA53 |title= Jerusalem in the time of the crusades: society, landscape, and art in the Holy City under Frankish rule |author= Adrian J. Boas |edition= Illustrated, reprint |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |isbn= 978-0-415-23000-1}}</ref> A different tradition is documented from the end of the Crusader period, after the disappearance of the Byzantine church: as Christian pilgrims were prohibited from approaching the militarily exposed northern city wall, the name "Saint Stephen's Gate" was transferred to the still accessible eastern gate, which bears this name until this day.<ref name="MurphyOConnor">{{cite book |title=The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700 |series=Oxford Archaeological Guides |author=Jerome Murphy-O'Connor |year=2008 |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=21 |isbn=978-0-19-923666-4 |quote=The local guides simply moved to the Kidron valley certain holy places, notably the church of Saint Stephen, which in reality were north of the city, and business went on as before. |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=m3Yy9FDcT8gC&q=Bab+el-Ghor&pg=PT48 |access-date=2 March 2018 }}</ref>
[[File:Legendari di sancti istoriado uulgar, 1497 – (ritrovamento del corpo di santo Stefano) - BEIC IE4411199.jpg|thumb|The discovery of the relics of Stephen in the ''[[Golden Legend]]'' (1497)]]

The relics of the protomartyr were later translated to Rome by [[Pope Pelagius II]] during the construction of the [[basilica]] of [[San Lorenzo fuori le mura|San Lorenzo fuori le Mura]]. They were interred alongside the relics of [[Saint Lawrence]], whose tomb is enshrined within the church. According to the ''[[Golden Legend]]'', the relics of Lawrence moved miraculously to one side to make room for those of Stephen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://catholicsaints.info/golden-legend-invention-of-saint-stephen-protomartyr/|title=Golden Legend – Invention of Saint Stephen, Protomartyr|date=2014-11-15|website=CatholicSaints.Info|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-19}}</ref>

The [[Imperial Regalia]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] includes a relic known as [[St. Stephen's Purse]] which is an elaborate gold and jewel-encrusted box believed to contain soil soaked with the blood of St. Stephen. The reliquary is likely a 9th-century creation.

In his book ''[[The City of God]]'', [[Augustine of Hippo]] describes the many miracles that occurred when part of the relics of Saint Stephen were brought to Africa.<ref>Augustine, [http://www.logoslibrary.org/augustine/city/2208.html City of God, Book XXII, Chapter 8], accessed 3 July 2021</ref>

The relics of the protomartyr were also in India Kerala brought from Congregation Mount Athos, Greece to St. Stephens Orthodox Cathedral Pilgrim Center, Kudassanad, Kerala, India.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

==Saint Stephen's Day==
{{Main|Saint Stephen's Day}}

===Public holidays===
In [[Western Christianity]], 26 December is called "[[Saint Stephen's Day]]", the "Feast of Stephen" mentioned in the English [[Christmas carol]] "[[Good King Wenceslas]]". It is a [[public holiday]] in many nations that are of historic Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran traditions, including Austria, Croatia, the [[Public holidays in the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Catalonia and the Balearic Isles.

===Western Christianity===
In the current norms for the [[liturgy]] of the Roman [[Catholic Church]], the feast is celebrated at the [[mass (liturgy)|Eucharist]], but, for the [[Liturgy of the Hours]], is restricted to the Hours during the day, with [[Vespers|Evening Prayer]] being reserved to the celebration of the [[octave (liturgical)|Octave]] of [[Christmas]]. Historically, the "Invention of the Relics of Saint Stephen" (i.e., their reputed discovery) was commemorated on 3 August.<ref>''Oxford Dictionary of Saints'', ed. David Hugh Farmer, corr. ed. (Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1979), p. 361. {{ISBN|0198691203}}</ref> The feasts of both 26 December and 3 August have been used in dating clauses in historical documents produced in England.<ref>''Handbook of dates for students of British history'', ed. [[C. R. Cheney]]. New, rev. ed. (Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2000), pp. 59, 85. {{ISBN|0521770955}}</ref> Stephen is [[Calendar of saints (Church of England)|remembered]] in the [[Church of England]] with a [[Festival (Anglicanism)|Festival]] on [[26 December]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Calendar|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/calendar|access-date=2021-03-27|website=The Church of England|language=en}}</ref>

===Eastern Christianity===
[[File:Saint Stephen 11cent.jpg|thumb|upright|Byzantine icon, 11th century]]
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], those [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] which follow the [[Byzantine Rite]], and in Oriental Orthodox Churches (e.g., Coptic, Syrian, Malankara) Saint Stephen's feast day is celebrated on 27 December, due to the celebration of the [[Synaxis]] of the [[Theotokos]] on 26 December.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/12/27/103659-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-stephen |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250511095922/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/12/27/103659-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-stephen |archive-date=May 11, 2025 |access-date=May 11, 2025 |website=[[Orthodox Church in America|OCA]]}}</ref> This also has the effect of pushing the Feast of the [[Massacre of the Innocents|Holy Innocents]] to 29 December. This day is also called the "Third Day of the Nativity" because it is the third day of the Christmas season.

Some Orthodox churches, particularly in the west, follow a modified Julian calendar that places date names identically with the standard Gregorian calendar of widespread civil usage. In those churches, then, the date the feast is observed is generally known as 27 December. However, other Orthodox churches, including the Oriental Orthodox, continue to use the original Julian calendar. Throughout the 21st century, 27 December Julian will continue to fall on 9 January in the Gregorian calendar, and that is the date on which they observe the feast.

Saint Stephen is also [[Calendar of saints|commemorated]] on 4 January ([[Synaxis]]) in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] as a member of the [[Seventy disciples|Seventy Apostles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Synaxis of the Seventy Apostles |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/01/04/100017-synaxis-of-the-seventy-apostles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250403043118/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2025/01/04/100017-synaxis-of-the-seventy-apostles |archive-date=April 3, 2025 |access-date=May 11, 2025 |website=[[Orthodox Church in America]]}}</ref>

[[Translation (relic)|Uncovering of his relics]] (relics of the [[saint]]s: [[Nicodemus]], [[Gamaliel]] and Abibas son of Gamaliel were also found in Saint Stephen's tomb) took place in 415, Gamaliel appeared to {{Interlanguage link|Лукиан (пресвитер Кафар Гамалы)|lt=presbyter Lucian|ru}} and he told him to go to [[Jerusalem]] and inform [[John II (bishop of Jerusalem)|Bishop John]] about [[relic]]s of Saint Stephen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Finding of the relics of Saint Gamaliel |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/08/02/102183-finding-of-the-relics-of-saint-gamaliel |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=oca.org}}</ref> [[John II (bishop of Jerusalem)|Bishop John II]] with bishops Eusthia (from [[Sebastia, Nablus|Sebastia]]) and Eleutherius (from Jericho) came to the tomb in [[Beit Jimal]] and translated relics to Jerusalem, this event is commemorated on 15 September.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uncovering of the relics of the Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/09/15/102621-uncovering-of-the-relics-of-the-holy-protomartyr-and-archdeacon |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225114932/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/09/15/102621-uncovering-of-the-relics-of-the-holy-protomartyr-and-archdeacon |archive-date=December 25, 2024 |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=[[Orthodox Church in America|OCA]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=THE TRANSFER FROM JERUSALEM TO CONSTANTINOPLE OF THE RELICS OF THE HOLY FIRSTMARTYR STEPHEN |url=https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/ocalendar/los/August/02-01.htm |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=holytrinityorthodox.com}}</ref><ref name="holytrinityorthodox.com">{{Cite web |title=Orthodox Calendar. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, a parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow |url=https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/ |access-date=2022-07-15 |website=holytrinityorthodox.com}}</ref>

In 428 (when [[Theodosius II|Saint Theodosius II the Younger]] [[Roman emperor|Roman Emperor]]) relics of saint: Stephen, [[Nicodemus]], [[Gamaliel]] and Abibas were translated from [[Jerusalem]] to [[Constantinople]] and relics have been placed in [[Saint Lawrence]] church, and after preparations were made relics were moved to specially prepared Saint Stephen church in Constantinople, this event took place on 2 August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Translation of the relics of the Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/08/02/102181-translation-of-the-relics-of-the-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-step |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225113558/https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/08/02/102181-translation-of-the-relics-of-the-protomartyr-and-archdeacon-step |archive-date=December 25, 2024 |access-date=May 11, 2025 |website=[[Orthodox Church in America|OCA]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name="holytrinityorthodox.com"/>

===Armenian Liturgy===
In the Armenian Apostolic and Armenian Catholic Churches, Saint Stephen's Day falls on 25 December – the day on which the feast of the Nativity of Jesus (Christmas) falls in all other churches. This is because the Armenian churches maintain the decree of Constantine, which stipulated that the Nativity and Theophany of Jesus were to be celebrated on 6 January. In dioceses of the Armenian Church which use the Julian Calendar, Saint Stephen's Day falls on 7 January and Nativity/Theophany on 19 January (for the remainder of the 21st century Julian).

In the eucharistic celebration on this feast day, it is traditional for all deacons serving at the altar to wear a liturgical crown (Armenian: խոյր ''khooyr''), which is one of the vestments worn only by priests on all other days of the year, the crown being in this instance a symbol of martyrdom.

==Commemorative places==
[[File:St-Stepanous-02.jpg|thumb|The [[Saint Stepanos Monastery|Saint Stephen Armenian Monastery]] of the 9th century near Jolfa, Iran]]
[[File:StStephen GiacomoCavedone.jpg|thumb|Saint Stephen holding a [[Gospel Book]] in a 1601 painting by [[Giacomo Cavedone]].]]
:'''''See also''': [[St. Stephen's Cathedral (disambiguation)|St. Stephen's Cathedral]], [[St. Stephen's Church (disambiguation)|St. Stephen's Church]]
Many churches and other places commemorate Stephen. Among the most notable are the two sites in Jerusalem held by different traditions to be the place of his martyrdom, the [[Salesian]] monastery of [[Beit Jimal]] in [[Israel]] held to be the place where his remains were miraculously found, and the church of [[San Lorenzo fuori le Mura]] in Rome, where the saint's remains are said to be buried.

Important churches and sites dedicated to Saint Stephen are:

===Andorra===
* [[Església de Sant Esteve|Church of Saint Stephen]], [[Andorra la Vella]], built in the 1100s and restored in 1940. It is a [[Cultural Heritage of Andorra|cultural heritage site in Andorra]]
* [[Església de Sant Esteve de Bixessarri|Church of Saint Stephen]], [[Bixessarri]], built in 1701 and also a cultural heritage site

===Armenian churches===
* [[Lmbatavank|Saint Stephen Church of Lmbat]] of the 7th century, near the town of [[Artik]], Armenia
* [[Saint Stepanos Monastery|Saint Stephen Armenian Monastery]] of the 9th century, near the city of [[Jolfa, Iran (city)|Jolfa]], northwestern Iran
* [[St. Stepanos Church|St. Stepanos Armenian Church]] of [[İzmir]], Turkey, built in 1863 and destroyed in September 1922 during the [[Great Fire of Smyrna|Catastrophe of Smyrna]]

===Australia===
* [[Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane|St Stephen's Cathedral]], [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]] – is the primary Catholic place of worship in the archdiocese of Brisbane

===Austria===
* [[Stephansdom]], [[Vienna]], [[Austria]] – the Cathedral of St. Stephen, founded 1147 and seat of the [[Archbishop of Vienna]]. Symbol of the city of Vienna and of Austria, has the tallest spire in Austria and is the "centerpiece of Vienna"<ref>{{cite news |url=http://travel.usnews.com/Vienna_Austria/Things_To_Do/St_Stephen_s_Cathedral_Stephansdom_29825/ |title=St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |access-date=12 January 2020}}</ref>

===Belgium===
* {{Interlanguage link|Saints John's and Stephen's church of the Minims|fr|Église Saints-Jean-et-Étienne-aux-Minimes}} (Brussels)

===Denmark===
* [[St. Stephen's Church, Copenhagen]]

===France===
* [[Saint Étienne]], France, and [[Saint Etienne (disambiguation)|numerous other places named Saint Étienne]] in the French-speaking world (Étienne is the French form of Stephen)

===Jerusalem===
* [[St. Stephen's Basilica, Jerusalem]], in French '''Saint-Étienne''', at the traditional place of St. Stephen's martyrdom; modern church over ruins of Byzantine 5th-century predecessor
* '''St. Stephan's Gate''', the Christian name of one of the city gates of the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]] of [[Jerusalem]], also known as the "[[The Lions' Gate|Lions' Gate]]". A post-Byzantine tradition holds that Stephen's stoning occurred there, while an older tradition connects the martyrdom to the Damascus Gate, where a [[St. Stephen's Basilica, Jerusalem|church]] and large monastic complex dedicated to Saint Stephen was built in the 5th century (see [[#Location of the martyrdom|above]]). A modern Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Stephen stands a short distance from Lions' Gate

===Hong Kong===
* [[St. Stephen's College, Stanley]]

===India===
* St. Stephen's School (ICSE/ISC), Sonarpur, Kolkata, Under [[Church of North India]] in [[India]] Principal, Hebron Larruna Peters
* [[St. Stephen Convent School, New Harsud, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh]]
* [[St. Stephen's Church, Kombuthurai]], built by [[Francis Xavier]] in [[India]] in 1542
* St. Stephen's knanaya Catholic Forane Church, Uzhavoor, Kottayam, built 1631
* [[Kudassanad#St.Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral|St. Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral Pilgrim Centre, Kudassanad, Pandalam, Kerala]] the first Orthodox Cathedral Pilgrim Centre where Holy Relics of Saint Stephen in India is situated. 
[[File:St. Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral Pilgrim Centre , Kudassanad, Pandalam, Kerala.jpg|thumb|St. Stephen's Orthodox Cathedral Pilgrim Centre, Kudassanad, Pandalam, Kerala    First Pilgrim Centre  in India where Holy Relics of Saint Stephen is situated.]]
* [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]]
* [[St. Stephen's Church, Delhi]] and St. Stephen's Hospital, Delhi
* [[St. Stephen's School, Chandigarh]] founded in 1986
* St. Stephen's Church, Thope, is one of the parishes of the first diocese of India, Kollam. It is 216 years old and the patron of this parish is St. Stephen, the first Martyr of the Church and it is situated beside Kollam Beach
* [[St Estevam#St. Estevam Church|St Stephen Church]] in [[St Estevam|Santo Estêvão]], [[Goa]], [[India]]
* St. Stephan's Orthodox Syrian Church, Kattanam ( Kattanam Valiyapalli)
* St. Stephen's Malankara Catholic Church, Kattanam
* St. Stephen's Church, Ooty

===Ireland===
* [[St Stephen's Green]], [[Dublin]]. The largest of Dublin's Georgian squares and itself named after a former leper hospital near the site<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.phoenixpark.ie/media/St.%20Stephen's%20Green%20Visitor's%20Guide.pdf |title=St. Stephen's Green |access-date=12 January 2020 |journal=[[Phoenix Park]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022040741/http://www.phoenixpark.ie/media/St.%20Stephen's%20Green%20Visitor's%20Guide.pdf |archive-date=22 October 2015 |publisher=The [[Office of Public Works]]}}</ref>
*Church of St. Stephen, Tyrrellspass, located in [[Tyrrellspass]], [[County Westmeath]]

===Italy===
* Rome – [[Santo Stefano al Monte Celio|Santo Stefano Rotondo]], a church built under the commission of Constantine I on the ruins of the Caelian Hill of Rome. Built in the 5th century, it is the first church in Rome to have a circular floor plan, instead of the traditional [[Greek Cross|Greek]] or [[Latin cross]] designs<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-santo-stefano-rotondo|title=Santo Stefano Rotondo – Rome, Italy}}</ref> 
* [[San Lorenzo fuori le Mura]], where Saint Stephen is said to be interred together with Saint Lawrence in the crypt, under the high altar
* Vatican City – [[Santo Stefano degli Abissini]], Coptic Christian church in Vatican City, that is also the [[National churches in Rome|National Church of Ethiopia in Rome]]
*Rome – [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls|Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura]], a side chapel to St. Stephen is about a stone's throw from the tomb of St. Paul
* Milan – [[Basilica di Santo Stefano Maggiore]], a baroque church built in the fifth century and originally dedicated to both Saint Stephen and [[Zechariah (New Testament figure)|Saint Zecheriah]]

===Netherlands, The===
* [[Saint Stephen's Church, Nijmegen]]

===United Kingdom===
* [[St Stephen's Chapel]] in the [[Palace of Westminster]], London, was originally built in the reign of [[Henry III of England]]; it became the first site of the debating chamber of the [[British House of Commons]]. The tower that houses [[Big Ben]], which was properly called The Clock Tower, was referred to as St Stephen's Tower by Victorian journalists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/big-ben/enquiries/#jump-link-3|title=Frequently asked questions: Big Ben and Elizabeth Tower|work=UK Parliament}}</ref> The Clock Tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower to commemorate the [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II]] in 2013. St Stephen's Tower is the smaller tower in the middle of the building
* [[St Stephen's House, Oxford]] – a [[permanent private hall]] of the [[University of Oxford]] and [[Anglican]] theological college
* [[St Stephen's Church, Bristol]] – a city church built outside the walls {{Circa|1250}}, rebuilt {{Circa|1430|1490}}
*St Stephen's, Sneinton, Nottingham – has strong links to William Booth and [[The Salvation Army]]. The parents of [[D. H. Lawrence|D.H. Lawrence]] married in the church on 27 December 1875
*[[St Stephen Walbrook|St Stephen's Walbrook]], City of London – first recorded in C11 and rebuilt to Wren's design after the Great Fire
* [[St Stephen's Church, Edinburgh|St Stephen's Church]], Saint Vincent Street, Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built in 1827–1828, to a design by architect William Henry Playfair (1789–1857).<ref>Wikipedia</ref>

===United States===
* St. Stephen The First Martyr Catholic Church, Sacramento, California<ref>{{Cite web |title=ST. STEPHEN THE FIRST MARTYR PARISH {{!}} |url=https://www.sacfssp.com/ |access-date=2025-08-03 |website=www.sacfssp.com}}</ref>
* St. Stephen Catholic Church, San Francisco, California<ref>[https://saintstephensf.org/ St. Stephen's Catholic Church, San Francisco, CA]</ref> 
* St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Renton, Washington<ref>[https://ststephenslife.com/ St. Stephen's Church, Renton, WA]</ref>
* St. Stephen Parish in Portland, Oregon
* [[St. Stephen's Catholic Church (Cleveland, Ohio)|St. Stephen Church]] in Cleveland, Ohio
* St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church and Parish in St. Louis, Missouri<ref>[https://saintstephenstl.org/ St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church, St. Louis, Missouri]</ref>
* [[St. Stephen's Church (Boston, Massachusetts)|St. Stephen's Church]] in Boston, Massachusetts
* St. Stephen Catholic Church in Cincinnati, Ohio
* St. Stephen Catholic Church, Chattanooga, TN
* St. Stephen's Church in Providence, RI<ref>[https://www.sstephens.org St. Stephen's Church, Providence, RI]</ref>
* St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Omaha, Nebraska<ref>[https://stephen.org/ St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church, Omaha, NE]</ref>
* St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin<ref>[https://saintstephenlc.com/about/ St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Milwaukee]</ref>
* St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin<ref>[https://sslcwausau.com/ St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin]</ref>
* St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church in Saint Petersburg, Florida<ref>[https://ststefanos.org/about/our-patron-saint St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church in Saint Petersburg, Florida]</ref>
*St. Stephen Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio
* St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr Parish in Tinley Park, Illinois<ref>[https://ststephentinley.com/ St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr Parish, Tinley Park]</ref>

===Turkiye===
* Aya Stefanos (Hagia Stephanos) Church, Eğirdir<ref>[https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/turkiye/isparta/gezilecekyer/aya-stefanos-yesilada-kilisesi]</ref>

==Other associations==
* In the Catholic Church, the [[Guild of St. Stephen]] is an international association of [[altar server]]s whose aim is to promote "highest standards of serving at the Church's liturgy".<ref>[http://guildofststephen.org/ Guild of St. Stephen], accessed 21 March 2018</ref>
* Saint Stephen is one of the sculptures on the side of the [[Orsanmichele]] in [[Florence]]. Saint Stephen is the patron saint of the [[Guilds of Florence|wool guild]].
*In the 14th −16th century, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Halberstadt|bishopric of Halberstadt]] issued [[Bracteate#Early medieval bracteates|one-sided stamped silver coins]]. The obverse showed the face of St. Stephen in chief over two large rocks in base and a martyr's palm frond (''palmwedel'') on the left side. The halo around St. Stephen's head and the two rocks being mistaken for hands made it look like he was lying in state inside of a coffin (''sarg''). Thus they were nicknamed ''sargpfennig'' ("coffin pennies").  
* Saint Stephen is featured as the eponymous subject of a [[St. Stephen (song)|song]] by the [[Grateful Dead]].

==See also==
* [[Portal:Catholic Church/Patron Archive/December 26|Saint Stephen, patron saint archive]]
* [[Guilds of Florence]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Saint Stephen}}
{{Wikiquote|Stephanus}}
* [http://www.bartleby.com/210/12/261.html "Saint Stephen, the First Martyr"]
* [https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/24836/st-stephens-death-shows-importance-of-scripture-pope-says Benedict XVI, "Reflection on the Life and Death of Saint Stephen"]
* [http://www.stpetersbasilica.info/Exterior/Colonnades/Saints/St%20Stephen-98/StStephen.htm Colonnade Statue in St Peter's Square]
* {{Hl-Lex|b|Stephanus.htm}}

{{New Testament people}}
{{Catholic saints}}
{{Persecution of Christians}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephen, Saint}}
[[Category:1st-century births]]
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[[Category:Christian saints from the New Testament]]
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[[Category:Early Jewish Christians]]
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[[Category:1st-century people]]
[[Category:People executed for heresy]]
[[Category:People executed by stoning]]
[[Category:People in Acts of the Apostles]]
[[Category:Miracle workers]]
[[Category:Visions of Jesus and Mary]]
[[Category:Burials at San Lorenzo fuori le mura]]
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[[Category:Sanhedrin]]
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