St. Stephen

St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. He is venerated as a saint by the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and other churches.

Stephen's name is Greek (Stephanos) so it is assumed he was one of the Hellenists, a Jew born in Greece and whose native tongue was Greek. In The Acts of the Apostles, Stephen is described as being one of the first deacons of the church. He was specifically given the job of distributing church funds to the needy; he preached the teachings of Jesus and helped convert both Jews and Gentiles to the religion that was, at the time, referred to simply as "The Way."

He was so active and successful that the Sanhedrin found Stephen guilty of blasphemy. Saul of Tarsus (who later changed his name to Paul) incited an infuriated mob to stone Stephen to death.

Stephen is often depicted holding a thurible and a miniature church building to illustrate his position as a part of the foundation of the Church. Many paintings of him also show him holding three stones to represent the means of his death. A palm frond, symbolic of martyrdom, is often included.

Stephen's feast day is December 26, the "Feast of Stephen" referenced in the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslaus". It is a public holiday in Ireland, Italy, Finland and Romania.