About St. Stephen
Feast Day: December 26
St. Stephen was the first martyr, which is why he is called Protomartyr. He was a deacon in the early Church. He was accused of blasphemy and stoned to death. His execution was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus who later became known as St. Paul.
St. Stephen Protomartyr
- Feast Day: December 26
- Patron Saint of …
- Mass Readings
- St. Stephen as Deacon
Patron Saint of …
He is the patron saint of altar servers, casket makers deacons, headaches, horses, and masons.
Daily Mass Readings for the Feast of St. Stephen
- First reading – Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59: “As they were stoning Stephen, he called out ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’”
- Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 31: “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.”
- Gospel – Matthew 10:17-22: “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
St. Stephen as Deacon
As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them.
The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1-7
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Other Resources and Ideas
What is Boxing Day?
On Boxing Day, it is traditional to box up things we don’t need and give them to the poor. This is done in honor of St. Stephen on his December 26 feast day, because he was tasked with feeding the Greek widows. Boxing Day is especially observed in Great Britain.
So encourage your family to celebrate this day by putting aside some items or money to donate to charity.
St. Stephen essentially ran the first soup kitchen!
Give Something You Like and Use to Charity
Giving away clothes or toys to a charity is a good way to practice almsgiving. But just giving away something you don’t want or use anymore is more like an act of closet cleaning than an act of sacrifice. Consider including at least one item you use frequently and enjoy.
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