Saint Stephen – The First Martyr – Discovering the Saints

You can find the story of Stephen in Act 7 – he was the first martyr of Christ’s church and was one of 7 men that the Apostles commissioned as the first Deacons of the church in order ensure there was care for the widows in the community. He was a Hellenistic Jew or possibly a Samaritan. He was stoned by a mob in Jerusalem in 36 AD after witnessing to the Sanhedrin of Christ using arguments that favored a pre-Deuteronomistic understanding of scripture. This naturally put him at odds theologically with the Pharisee Saul who first appears in the Bible at this event in Acts.

Stephen was believed to have been a stone mason and is the patron saint of Deacons and Stonemasons. Stephen’s remains were buried by the community and the location lost. In 415 AD a priest claimed to have had a vision of the location of Stephens tomb and the name Stephen was discovered inside. His martyrdom is remembered on December 26 in the western church and on December 27 in the eastern church.

Family Activities

St. Stephens Day is also called Boxing Day in England. In the past it was a day when boxes with food and other items would be made up and given to the poor. Since Stephen was one of the first Deacons charged with caring for the widows and orphans use this day as a family to gather up items that you can donate to shelters or other charities.
The Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas mentions the feast of St. Stephen in the first verse and is a carol about providing charity and kindness to the poor. It’s a very lively song and fun to sing. Take time to learn the lyrics and then sing it as enthusiastically as possible with family.

If you would like to read more about the New Testament Apostles and others and what happened to them, I highly recommend “The Search for the 12 Apostles” by William McBirnie.