Orthodox · 1st century
Holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen
Commemorated: January 9 (December 27, Old Style)
Life
Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen in Jerusalem to care for the widows of the Greek-speaking believers (Acts 6). The Book of Acts calls him “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” and tells that he worked signs and debated in the synagogues. Accused before the Sanhedrin of speaking against the Temple and the Law, he answered with a long speech on the history of Israel.
He was dragged out of the city and stoned, praying for those who killed him, while a young man named Saul, the future apostle Paul, guarded their cloaks. This was about 34. In 415 a tomb believed to be his was found at Caphar Gamala near Jerusalem.
Places
- Place of death: Jerusalem
- Place of burial: Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls
Retold briefly in our own words from: the Roman Martyrology (1916).
The commemorations of the day: Ponomar (ponomar.net), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Places and years: Wikidata (CC0), each saint matched by hand.