Saint Stephen, The First Martyr

The Feast of Saint Stephen, celebrated on December 26th, honors the first Christian martyr—the first to die for faith in Jesus Christ. His feast immediately follows Christmas, showing that following Christ may lead to the cross.

Deacon and Preacher

Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen by the apostles to serve the Hellenist widows in the early Church (Acts 6). Scripture describes him as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5), "full of grace and power, doing great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8).

His wisdom in debate was remarkable: "They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking" (Acts 6:10).

The Trial

False witnesses accused Stephen of blasphemy. Brought before the Sanhedrin, he delivered a powerful speech recounting salvation history from Abraham to Solomon, culminating in a sharp accusation:

"'You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do. Which of the prophets didn’t your fathers persecute?" — Acts 7:51-52

The Vision

As the crowd raged, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw a vision:

"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." — Acts 7:56

This is the only place in the New Testament where Jesus is seen standing at God's right hand—as if rising to welcome his first martyr.

The Stoning

The crowd dragged Stephen outside and stoned him. His final words echoed Christ's from the Cross:

"They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!' He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, 'Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!' When he had said this, he fell asleep." — Acts 7:59-60

Among those approving his death was a young man named Saul—later to become Saint Paul.

Patron Saint

Saint Stephen is the patron of deacons, stonemasons, and headache sufferers. His example teaches us to forgive our persecutors and to die with Christ's name on our lips.