Saint Stephen
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{{redirect|St. Stephen}}
{{Infobox Saint
|name=Saint Stephen
|birth_date=unknown
|death_date=c.34–35
|feast_day=December 26, 27
|venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], [[Eastern Catholic Churches]], [[Lutheran Church]], [[Anglican Communion]]
|image=St-stephen.jpg
|imagesize=200px
|caption=Saint Stephen, depicted by [[Carlo Crivelli]] in 1476 with three stones and the martyrs' palm. He is depicted with the clerical [[tonsure]], vested in a [[dalmatic]] and holding a [[Gospel Book]] in his right hand.
|birth_religion Jew
|death_place=[[Jerusalem]]
|titles=Deacon and Protomartyr
|canonized_date=
|canonized_place=
|canonized_by=
|attributes=stones, [[dalmatic]], [[censer]], miniature church, [[Gospel Book]], martyr's palm. In [[Eastern Christianity]] he often wears an [[orarion]]
|patronage=[[Acoma]] Indian [[Pueblo]]; [[casket]] makers; [[Cetona|Cetona, Italy]]; [[deacons]]; [[headache]]s; [[horse]]s; [[Kessel, Belgium]]; [[masonry|masons]]; [[Owensboro, Kentucky]]; [[Passau|Passau, Germany]]; [[Serbia]]; [[Republic of Srpska]]; [[Prato|Prato, Italy]] [http://www.catholic-forum.com/SAINTS/saints04.htm]
|major_shrine=
|suppressed_date=
|issues=
}}
[[Image:StStephen.jpg|thumb|Saint Stephen preaching.]]
'''Saint Stephen''' ([[Koine Greek|Greek]]: Στέφανος, ''Stephanos''), known as the '''''[[Protomartyr]]''''' ([[Koine Greek|Greek]]: Πρωτομάρτυς, ''Protomartys'') (or first [[martyr]]) of [[Christianity]], is venerated as a [[saint]] in the [[Roman Catholic Church]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. His name means "wreath" or "crown" in [[Greek_language|Greek]].
==Christian deacon==
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 civilization|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 [[evangelism|evangelist]], preaching the teachings of [[Jesus]] to the people of Jerusalem, including members of the place of the Hellenistic [[synagogues]].
==Martyrdom==
[[The Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the [[Sanhedrin]] for [[blasphemy]] against [[Moses]] and [[God]] ({{bibleverse||Acts|6:11}}) and speaking against the [[Herod's Temple|Temple]] and the [[Mosaic Law|Law]] ({{bibleverse||Acts|6:13-14}}) (see also [[Antinomianism]]) and was then [[Stoning|stoned]] to death (c. A.D. 34–35) by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future [[Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul]]: "And Saul entirely approved of putting him to death" (8:1). [http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+22%3A20].
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 language|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' [[arecaceae|palm]]. In Eastern Christian [[icon]]ography 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]].
==Theophany==
As he was on trial and being prosecuted, Saint Stephen experienced a [[wiktionary:theophany|theophany]]. His [[theophany]] was unique in that he saw both the [[God the Father|Father]] and the [[God the Son|Son]]:
:"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." ({{bibleverse||Acts|7:56|KJV}})
==St. Stephen's Day==
{{main|St. Stephen's Day}}
In [[Western Christianity]], [[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 [[Public holidays in the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Slovak Republic]], [[Poland]], [[Republika Srpska]], [[England and Wales]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Italy]], [[Germany]], [[Finland]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]. 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.
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and those [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] which follow the [[Byzantine Rite]], his [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[December 27]] (for those churches which follow the traditional [[Julian Calendar]], December 27 currently falls on [[January 9]] of the modern [[Gregorian Calendar]]). This day is also called the ''Third Day of the Nativity''.
Another feast day, the Invention of the Relics of St. Stephen—"Invention", from the Latin ''inventio'', meaning "discovery"—was historically kept in the Western Church on [[August 3]], commemorating the finding of his [[relic]]s during the reign of Emperor [[Flavius Augustus Honorius|Honorius]].
The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the [[Translation (relics)|Translation]] of the Relics of Protomartyr Stephen on [[August 2]] (August 15). The feast celebrates the discovery of Stephen's relics in 415, after which they were solemnly transferred to a church built in his honor in Jerusalem. Later, during the reign of Emperor [[Theodosius the Younger]] (408-450) they were translated to [[Constantinople]].
==Cult of Saint Stephen==
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]] ([http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/gregory-hist.html#book3 ''Historia Francorum'' ii.6]).
==In popular culture==
The [[Grateful Dead]] released the song [[St. Stephen (song)|"Saint 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.
==Commemorative places==
* In [[Vienna]], [[Austria]] - '''[[Stephansdom]]''', the Cathedral of St. Stephen, founded 1147 and seat of Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna. Symbol of the city of Vienna and of Austria, has tallest spire in all of Austria and is the country's most famous church
* In Rome - '''[[San Lorenzo fuori le Mura|Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls]]''' where his remains are interred with those of the eponymous saint under the altar
* In Toronto, Canada - "St. Stephen's Community House"
* In East Jerusalem - '''St. Stephen's Church'''
* In the old city of [[Jerusalem]] - the "[[The Lions' Gate|Lions' Gate]]" is also called '''''St. Stephanus Gate''''', after the tradition that Stephen's stoning occurred here, though it probably occurred at [[Damascus Gate]] [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14286b.htm]
* 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 of England|Henry III]] and eventually became the first location of the debating chamber of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]
* In [[Dublin]] - [[St. Stephen's Green]]
* In Croghan - St. Stephen's Church
* In [[Manila]], [[Philippines]] - [[St. Stephen's Parish]] (established by the American Episcopal Mission to the Philippines in 1903) and [[St. Stephen's High School]]
==References==
*{{cite encyclopedia
| encyclopedia = Encyclopedia Britannica
| title = Stephen, Saint | edition = 15th edition
| year = 1974
| volume = Volume 11 | pages = 250-251
}}
*{{cite book |last=Latourette |first=Kenneth Scott |authorlink=Kenneth Scott Latourette |title=A History of Christianity |edition=1st paperback edition |year=1975 |publisher=Harper & Row |location=New York
|id=ISBN 0060649526 |pages=67-68 |chapter=The Sweep of Christianity Across the Græco-Roman World }}
*{{cite encyclopedia
| last = Nixon | first = R. E.
| editor = J. D. Douglas
| encyclopedia = The New Bible Dictionary
| title = Stephen
| year = 1962 | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans
| location = Grand Rapids
| id = ISBN 0-8028-2282-7
| pages = 1216
}}
{{New Testament people}}
{{commons|Saint Stephen}}
==External links==
*{{CathEncy|id=14286b|title= St. Stephen|short=yes}}
*[http://www.wikichristian.org/Stephen_%28Acts%29 WikiChristian: Stephen (Acts)]
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100027 Apostle Stephen the Archdeacon of the Seventy] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]]
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=102181 Translation of the relics of the Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen from Jerusalem to Constantinople]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephen}}
[[Category:1st century deaths]]
[[Category:Christian martyrs of the Roman era]]
[[Category:New Testament people]]
[[Category:People executed for heresy]]
[[Category:Saints from the Holy Land]]
[[Category:Judeo-Christian topics]]
[[Category:People executed by stoning]]
[[br:Stefan (kentañ merzher)]]
[[ca:Sant Esteve màrtir]]
[[cs:Svatý Štěpán]]
[[da:Sankt Stefan]]
[[de:Stephanus]]
[[es:Esteban (mártir)]]
[[eo:Sankta Stefano]]
[[fr:Étienne (premier martyr)]]
[[ko:스테파노]]
[[hr:Sveti Stjepan Prvomučenik]]
[[id:Stefanus]]
[[it:Santo Stefano protomartire]]
[[he:סטפנוס הקדוש]]
[[hu:Szent István vértanú]]
[[nl:Stefanus (martelaar)]]
[[ja:ステファノ]]
[[no:Stefanus]]
[[pl:Święty Szczepan]]
[[pt:Santo Estêvão]]
[[ru:Стефан Первомученик]]
[[sq:Shën Shtjefni]]
[[simple:Saint Stephen]]
[[sk:Svätý Štefan Prvomučeník]]
[[sl:Sveti Štefan]]
[[sr:Стефан Првомученик]]
[[fi:Pyhä Stefanos]]
[[sv:Sankt Stefan]]
[[th:นักบุญสตีเฟน]]
[[vec:Santo Stefano (martire)]]
[[zh:聖司提反]]