St. Stephen: Feast Day, Patronage & Prayers
Feast day: December 26 (Feast of St. Stephen, the First Martyr)
Patron of: Deacons.
About St. Stephen
St. Stephen was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles, as recorded in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, to serve the daily needs of the widows and the poor in the young Church of Jerusalem. He was "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost," and he is honored as one of the first deacons. He worked great wonders among the people and spoke with such wisdom that his opponents could not answer him.
Brought before the Sanhedrin on false charges, Stephen gave a long speech retelling the history of Israel and declaring that Jesus was the Righteous One whom the prophets foretold. Looking up to heaven, he cried out that he saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. The crowd dragged him out of the city and stoned him, while a young man named Saul watched and approved. Like Jesus, Stephen died praying for his killers: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." He is the first Christian martyr, honored the day after Christmas, December 26.
Prayers to St. Stephen on Daily Catholic Prayers
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